New Interim President Appointed at Kyiv University of Culture and Arts
Ihor Komarnytskyi has been named the new acting president of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (KNUKiM). This leadership change follows the tenure of Mykhailo Poplavskyi, who led the institution from 1995, first as rector and then as president from 2017 onward. The appointment of an interim leader is a significant step for one of Ukraine's leading institutions for cultural and artistic education.
The appointment order was signed by Ukraine's Minister of Education and Science, Orest Lishchynskyi. Ihor Komarnytskyi is a professor in the university's Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Business and a former dean of that faculty, holding a Candidate of Sciences degree in Culturology. He is also a co-founder and manager of the travel company 'Karavan Plus' and heads the Kyiv regional city organization of Ukraine's Agrarian Party.
The Legacy of Mykhailo Poplavskyi's Leadership
Mykhailo Poplavskyi, who served as president since 2017, was previously a member of Ukraine's parliament in its 4th, 7th, and 8th convocations. His leadership was marked by several notable events, including the 2017 repeal of a parliamentary norm that had barred MPs who voted for certain laws in January 2014 from being appointed as university rectors.
- Poplavskyi was re-elected as president of KNUKiM in 2021.
- The university is now planning elections for a permanent head.
- Mykhailo Poplavskyi has already expressed his intention to run for the position again.
Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko chairs the university's supervisory board. In 2020, KNUKiM was transferred to the management of the Ministry of Education and Science. It is noteworthy that in 2014, the Ministry of Education revoked the license of Poplavskyi's private university, but the Kyiv District Administrative Court suspended that decision.
In recent years, Mykhailo Poplavskyi actively worked on university reconstruction projects, including a $5 million initiative supported by American partners. Meanwhile, the new acting president, Ihor Komarnytskyi, aims to continue the university's development in the face of new challenges.
The appointment of Ihor Komarnytskyi as acting president of KNUKiM may signal changes in the university's management and strategic direction. — Source unknown
Consequently, this leadership transition could open new avenues for the development of KNUKiM under contemporary conditions.