ABSTRACT
The history of Ukrainian higher education in general and the development of Taras Shevchenko National University (Kyiv University) in particular can only be understood within the context of the sustained struggle by Moscow to assert suzerainty over Kyiv. The medieval roots of Ukrainian higher education can be traced to the late Middle Ages when Ukraine, then known as Kyiv an Rus, was among the more powerful and influential European nations with a highly extensive network of schools that would ultimately provide the foundation for its universities. In examining changes in the internal governance of Kyiv, probably the single most important event was the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991 and subsequent declaration of Ukrainian independence. Under Soviet rule, however, numerous students gained admission to Kyiv University due to close connections with Communist Party officials, bribery, etc.
