Mikhail Vinnitsky: reformer with dual citizenship

The media often talk about Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mikhail Vinnitsky, who became known as a reformer.

He talks about the antediluvian education system in Ukraine and advertises the American-Canadian version of proper higher education.

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Among the reformer’s proposals is the replacement of the principle of electing university rectors by collectives with election only by Supervisory Boards, which will be appointed by the Ministry, or rather by Vinnitsky himself, as responsible for higher education.

True, there are two problems: the Law on Higher Education provides for a democratic election procedure, and Ukraine’s obligations to the EU also require the election of the head of the university by a team of teachers and students, and not by officials of the Ministry of Education and Science.

It is interesting that this Vinnitsky is known for a number of scandals even in his position as head of the secretariat of the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education. This is the possible illegal retention of Canadian citizenship and illegal employment and bonuses for his wife, who worked under his leadership.

Let us recall that the campaign to employ citizens of other states to the governments of Yatsenyuk and Groysman ended in a complete fiasco. Reformers from the USA, Georgia, France, Poland...having received Ukrainian citizenship, occupied responsible positions, and after dismissal they returned to their countries because they deceived the Ukrainian authorities and did not give up their previous citizenship.

In this regard, our publication sent an information request to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to provide the following information:

– did Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mikhail Ivanovich Vinnitsky, who received Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, submit a document on termination of Canadian citizenship, as provided for in Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship”;

– how did the consideration of the criminal case as ordered by the NAPC in 2021 regarding the use of official position in the interests of his wife by Mikhail Ivanovich Vinnitsky in the position of head of the NAZYAVO secretariat end?

We are convinced that all officials, especially foreigners who decide to make a career in Ukraine, are obliged to comply with the legislation on single citizenship.