Valery Kopiyka has been appointed the new rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has appointed Valerii Kopiika, director of the Educational and Research Institute of International Relations, as acting rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. This is evidenced by a corresponding order from the Ministry of Education and Science. According to the order, signed by Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisov, Valery Kopiyka will serve as the university’s head until a new rector is appointed in accordance with established procedures or until another interim official is appointed, but no later than October 29, 2026. The KNU Student Parliament has already invited the newly appointed acting rector to an open meeting with students. In their appeal, the students wished Kopiika “strength and perseverance in restoring trust in the university and its role in Ukraine’s higher education system, in establishing its authority, and in creating a qualitatively new educational environment.” Valerii Volodymyrovych Kopiika was born on March 5, 1962, in Kyiv. He is a Ukrainian political scientist specializing in international relations, a Doctor of Political Science, and a professor. In 1984, he graduated from the Faculty of International Relations and International Law at Kyiv State University. His entire academic career has been associated with Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Key stages of his professional career: In 1990, he defended his master’s thesis, and in 2004, his doctoral dissertation. Kopiyka completed internships and lectured at higher education institutions in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria. His primary research interests include European integration and the foreign policy of Western European countries. He has also supervised six candidates for the degree of Candidate of Sciences and is fluent in French. Kopiyka’s appointment came amid expectations regarding further personnel decisions in the leadership of one of Ukraine’s most prestigious universities. As a reminder, Volodymyr Bugrov was dismissed from his position as rector of KNU upon the expiration of his contract. Prior to this, he was accused of committing an administrative offense related to corruption and fined for failing to declare a vehicle.
Recently, the Sixth Kyiv City Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the court of first instance in the case of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Rector Volodymyr Bugrov regarding false declarations.
Thus, the court upheld the decision of the court of first instance. On March 4, 2026, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv found Rector Volodymyr Bugrov guilty of committing an administrative offense related to corruption, fining him for failing to declare a vehicle.
Journalists from “Slidstvo.Info” established that Volodymyr Bugrov, rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, became the owner of an apartment in a luxury new-build complex in Kyiv, which he could not have afforded with the funds he had declared. The KNU rector registered a two-bedroom apartment with an area of 74.7 m² in his name in the newly built White Lines residential complex near Holosiivskyi Park. Currently, such apartments cost over $200,000.
