EXPERTISE IN EXPERIMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAINING OF POST GRADUATE STUDENTS (PH.D.) IN MAJOR 281 “PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION” AT THE EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT DNIPRO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

The article highlights the expertise in implementing experimental training of post graduate students (3rd level – PhD) in major 281 Public Administration at the Educational and Research Institute of Public Administration at Dnipro University of Technology. It is emphasized that since 2016 a new, European model of training higher-level research personnel, namely Doctors of Philosophy (PhD), has been introduced in Ukraine in higher educational institutions (research institutions). The organizational and legal basis for the implementation of this model is the licensing of educational and research programs, which is carried out by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. It is proved that the Educational and Research Institute of Public Administration at Dnipro University of Technology has considerable expertise in training research personnel of the highest level in the field of Public Administration (since 2004 until present). The institute had a specialized academic council K 08.866.01 with the right to approve candidate's dissertations (2004–2018); a specialized academic council D 08.866.01 with the right to approve PhD and doctoral dissertations (2016–2021). In 2016, the Institute began training research personnel in major 281 Public Administration. During the experiment on the training of post graduate students of the third level (PhD) at the Institute, 14 students have been trained. All of them defended their theses before thesis committees individually customized for each candidate, and received Ph.D. degrees. The main research interests of these students are formed around the priority issues in the field of public administration, in particular, the adaptation of public administration and civil service to EU standards; innovation development management; strategic management in public administration; anticrisis management in the public sector; leadership in public administration; public finance management; public management of socio-humanitarian development, etc. It is proved that in the conditions of resetting the public administration system, the relevance of the educational and research major Public Administration is beyond doubt, as it provides training for a new generation of managers, who are young, enterprising, and armed with modern skills for professional activity in public administrations as well as capable of research and pedagogical activity. The benefits and shortcomings of the system for training Doctors of Philosophy at the Educational and Research Institute of Public Administration at Dnipro University of Technology have been identified in order to determine perspectives for further development and improvement of this system in the conditions of the regional and national market of educational services.