President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that entrants from all territories of our state, which are currently under the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation, should be able to enter Ukrainian universities under a simplified procedure. He said this during an online meeting with students and rectors of Ukrainian higher education institutions.
The President reminded that in 2020 a simplified mechanism for admission to Ukrainian universities for graduates from the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was introduced. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, entrants from the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions should have the same opportunities.
"The issue of the list of temporarily occupied territories needs to be worked out. I will instruct to prepare the necessary decisions," the President stressed.
In addition, responding to the students' appeals, the Head of State instructed Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Shkarlet to develop a mechanism for resolving the issue of payment under contracts for students from the temporarily occupied territories.
"Today we recognize the Kherson region as a temporarily occupied territory. That's why I don't understand why a student from the Kherson region has to pay money," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State offered to develop a solution that would help remove this urgent problem for students from the temporarily occupied districts of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv regions and Donbas.
The President also noted that he likes the motto "Education despite the war" and called on Ukrainian students to continue their studies, despite hostilities, because Ukraine needs smart, educated, professional people.
"Students must continue to acquire knowledge. I wish you to take all the knowledge you can. This is also a very important work for the benefit of our state. We need clever people who understand their profession. People who can really revive Ukraine, production, technology," Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.