Anton Bader, Svitlana Vovk, Liudmyla Novoskoltseva, Maryna Rusanova y Volodymyr Saienko
Formation of priority tasks and strategies for education highly qualified political scientists:
European experience, and Ukrainian practice
The educational process here takes place according to the Bologna
system; the period of study for the political science profile is 5 years, which
is quite equivalent to the generally accepted European framework for the
training of a master (master) in political science. Much attention is paid to
the professional orientation of future specialists, in particular, even within
specific disciplines (e.g., political science). Applicants are usually able to
determine their future career immediately by enrolling in one or another
type of institution of higher education. Applicants who are academically
oriented and tend to be research-oriented tend to enroll at universities.
Other applicants oriented towards practical work often choose higher
schools and Institutes for education (Vilkov and Rudenko, 2017).
The peculiarity of training of high-class specialists in political science
is the active involvement of applicants in practical work. According to the
adopted methodology, for at least 9 months an applicant should undergo
an internship outside the Institute: in administrative structures, private
companies, enterprises, in a political or public foundation or organization
(association), including - international.
International internships are also practiced. In some cases, if previously
agreed with the administration of the Institute of Political Science, it is
possible to have an internship in several different structures, but its total
duration should not be less than 9 months. For example, the International
Relations and Internship Department of the Political Science Institute
in Aix-en-Provence offers quite a few options for work placements for its
students, also citing a considerable list of foreign partner institutions which
may accept students from Provence for internships.
There is also a compulsory introductory computer science class. It
determines studentsâ computer science background and recommends
additional classes for students who need them. Attendance is mandatory,
and appropriate academic grades are given at the end of this course. Foreign
language classes are also important for political science students. Typically,
as a first foreign language, a choice is offered to take, German, English,
Spanish, or Italian. A second foreign language is given, as for the French, a
more âexoticâ one: Arabic, Chinese or Japanese.
The training of political scientists in French universities usually takes
place in French only. The only exceptions are the Institute in Toulouse,
where both French and English are taught in parallel, and the International
Chiller University in Paris, where both French and English masterâs degrees
can be taken simultaneously (Sage et al., 2021).
An additional advantage of French institutions where political science
is studied is the wide range of opportunities for subsequent employment.
In particular, graduates can become researchers in political science, pursue
doctoral studies, work as experts in the private or public (public) field, enter