Liliia Mykhailivna Hrynevych (, born 13 May 1965) New Cabinet formed in Ukraine, UNIAN (14 April 2016) is a Ukrainian educator, politician and civil servant, a Member of the Parliaments of the 7th and 8th Convocation from December 2012 to April 2016. From April 2016 to August 2019 —the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; the first woman-Minister of Education and Science in the period of the Ukrainian independence. She has a PhD in education.
From 2006 to 2009, Hrynevych headed the Kyiv City State Administration's education department. Representing Fatherland, she was elected to the 7 convocation of Verkhovna Rada during the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election. Placing 9th on the party list of People's Front, she was re-elected in the 2014 parliamentary election.She served as the chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Science and Education for two terms (7 and 8 convocations of Verkhovna Rada).
For many years, 1987 to 2002, she worked in secondary education in Ukraine as a teacher, deputy headmistress and headmistress in a number of Lviv schools. She was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment, of which she was the Director from February to August 2006, focusing her efforts on the development of External Independent Assessment at a national level. Her political career began with the political party "Front for Change", as an advisor to party leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk on education. In 2012 she was elected as an MP to the Ukrainian Parliament leading the Parliamentary Committee for Science and Education, of which she was the Head until 2016. She has been awarded a Commander of the Order of Princess Olha degree, and has been awarded an "Excellence in Education of Ukraine" medal. She is an Honorary Senator of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
Life story
Early years Born into a family of teachers, Liliia was 17 years old when she entered Ivan Franko State University of Lviv.She graduated from university in 1987 with the qualification “Biochemist. Lecturer”. Liliia Hrynevych worked as a laboratory assistant from August to November 1987 in the Department of Biochemistry. Later she worked for some time as a tutor during the day in Lviv school No. 70, until in 1988 she was transferred to Lviv school No. 7 as a biology teacher, where she worked in this capacity until 1992.
Career in Education
In 1992 after the independence of Ukraine, Liliia Hrynevych worked in Lviv at school No. 7, where she was transferred from her role as a biology teacher to that of deputy Headmistress in national education. Liliia was awarded another degree in 1993 with the qualification “Economist-manager” from the Interdisciplinary Institute for professional training and development at Lviv Polytechnic State University. Liliia researched problems in reforming education systems at internship programs in Warsaw University and Columbia University. In 1994 she moved to Lviv specialized school No. 53, where she worked as deputy director for educational work, while undertaking an intensive course in the study of English. After four years she was transferred to another specialized school in the same city, No. 28, to take on the role of Headmistress, while undertaking an intensive course in the study of German. In this role, the future Minister worked until 2002. In 2002 Liliia Hrynevych relocated to Kyiv, where she worked at the Krok City Institute of Economics and Law as a senior lecturer in the Department of Management. At the same time, Liliia took on a part-time role as Director of the Renaissance International Fund Centre for Technology in Testing. She participated in the creation of the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment, which she headed during February to August 2006. During her work at the centre, Liliia Hrynevych was deeply involved in the development of External Independent Testing of pupils and applicants to higher education. The result was the introduction of External Independent Testing (EIT) at a nationwide level. In 2005 Liliia Hrynevych presented the thesis on "Trends in Decentralization of Basic Education Management in Modern Poland" and obtained PhD in Pedagogy, specialty 13.00.01 – General Pedagogy and History of Pedagogy.
During 2006-2009 worked as Head of the Department of Education and Science at Kyiv City State Administration. * 2008-2012 – Lecturer at the Institute of Leadership in Educational Legislation and Policy at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Pedagogical and Adult Education of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine. 2012-2016 – Member of Parliament of Ukraine of VII-VIII convocations, Chairman of the Committee on Science and Education. 2016-2019 Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. Since November 2019-July 2024 – Vice-Rector for Academic and International Affairs of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. Since August 2024-till now – Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University.
MP activity
7th convocation of Parliament
At the time of the Parliamentary Elections in 2012 she was studying as a doctoral student at the Institute of Teacher Education and Adult Education of the National Academy of Pedagogical Science of Ukraine. In autumn 2012, following the elections to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament), Liliia Mikhaylivna Hrynevych was elected an MP of Ukraine to the 7th convocation as No. 14 in the list of the United All-Ukrainian “Batkivshchina” (Fatherland) Party.
In December of that year, after election to Parliament, she Headed the Committee on Science and Education. After her appointment to this position Liliia Hrynevych defined the key tasks in this role as: ensuring fair and equitable access to higher education, increased access to education and improvements in its quality. In particular, improving legislation on these matters. At that time a new version of the law on higher education in Ukraine was being drafted. On 15 June 2013, after the amalgamation of the Front for Change and Batkivshchina parties, she became one of the deputy leaders of the new Batkivshchina Party. That same year Liliia joined several newly created parliamentary groups and associations. In particular, parliamentary groups on interparliamentary relations with countries such as Israel, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Poland, Russia, Singapore, the United States, Turkey, Hungary, and Finland.
In 2013 the creation of a Parliamentary Commission for Future Affairs was proposed. The task before this committee, as it was seen, should have been in helping MPs to consider issues related to forecasts and future plans, identify priority areas for technological innovation and innovative development of the nation, process models for future development, and to analyse various government programs.During this convocation of the Parliament of Ukraine, on 22 April 2015, a temporary Commission of the Parliament of Ukraine of the issues of the Future was created. 228 MPs were in favour of this Regulation No. 2219 on the second reading. Liliia Hrynevych was on the commission.
8th Convocation of Parliament'
During the early parliamentary elections in 2014, Liliia Hrynevych was elected to Parliament on the lists of "Government Party in Power" and "People's Front", headed at that time by Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Liliia Hrynevych ran on a multi-mandate platform, and was ranked ninth in the list of the party. In the 8th convocation Parliament (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine), Liliia Hrynevych continued working as a Chair of the Parliament Committee on Science and Education on developing legislative initiatives that enabled reforms in the national system of education including the academic research field. Liliia Hrynevych co-chaired an Equal Opportunities inter-factional union created in the 8th convocation Parliament in December 2014. Liliia H. was a co-author of the Draft Law on Amendments to Legal Acts of Ukraine, in particular, a gender equality legislative initiative on equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the election process. On 14 April 2016, the Verkhovna Rada Parliament of Ukraine appointed a new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which included Liliia Hrynevych designated as Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Hrynevych took part in the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election with the party Ukrainian Strategy. But in the election this party did get not enough votes to clear the 5% election threshold and thus won no parliamentary seats.
Legislative contributions Liliia Hrynevych has initiated three fundamental reforms in the education and social-humanitarian spheres: the External Independent Testing, the new Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education", aimed at reforming the national tertiary education and "New Ukrainian School" – a reform of the general secondary education defined by the Law of Ukraine "On education". Implementation of External Independent Testing has led to equal access to education for everyone as well as a reduction in corruption in education in Ukraine. The Higher Education Law of Ukraine in 2014 established many innovations in higher education in Ukraine. In particular, this autonomy of universities, increased roles for student unions, changes in educational levels and academic degrees according to international practice, a new classification of universities, and new financing higher education.
The main developers of higher education reform in Ukraine in general and the Higher Education law have been, in addition to Liliia Hrynevych as the Chairman of Parliamentary Committee of Ukraine on Science and Education considered to be key include the former Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Serhiy Kvit, and the developer of the first draft of the new law, Member of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine and Rector of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Mykhailo Zghurovskyi. Liliia Hrynevych initiated changes to the science management system, enshrined in the Law on Scientific and Technical Activities, which was supported by 235 parliamentarians in November 2015. The Law, in particular, defines legal, administrative and financial foundations for developments in the Scientific and Technical sphere. The Law also establishes the National Council for Science and Technology Development and the National Research Fund. The drafting and adoption of the Law on Education made it possible to launch 'The New Ukrainian School', the reform of general secondary education. It was under the chairmanship of Liliia Hrynevych, that the draft Committee prepared the Draft Law on Education and sent it to the Parliament for re-reading in 2016. In 2017 the document was finalized and adopted in the second reading. Among other achievements - the adoption of amendments to the Budget Code, and changes related to the organization of inclusive education.
During her tenure during the 7th convocation, Liliia Hrynevych introduced 110 Bills and resolutions, 14 of which have entered into force, and submitted 23 parliamentary inquiries. The total includes 261 amendments to Bills, of which 244 have been adopted. During her tenure during the 8th convocation Liliia Hrynevych has introduced 82 bills and resolutions, 37 of which have entered into force, and submitted 10 parliamentary inquiries. The total included 52 amendments to Bills of which 34 have been adopted.
Activity as Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine (April 2016 – August 2019)