President of National University Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI) Kseniia Semenova states that KAI’s management model and organizational-legal form provide the autonomy that all other higher education institutions desire, but they are unwilling to take on the responsibility.
"The supervisory board specifically represents the interests of the state and also monitors that these interests are taken into account during the management of the university. The supervisory board was formed according to the principle defined in the resolution: seven people covering various areas. It brings together very diverse competencies that are super useful for the university and provide broad experience. The supervisory board operates as a management body, meaning it is not an advisory body—it is not about ‘sharing contacts of acquaintances’ or ‘taking photos at a ceremonial event’—it is about management, document analysis, strategy development, financial plan analysis, and making strategic decisions," Semenova said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
She noted that in contentious matters, the final word rests with the supervisory board, though she retains the opportunity to convey her vision.
"The appointment of top management goes through the supervisory board, which makes it possible to unseal the university system. Because in the old system, there is zero possibility for an outsider with different expertise to come in and develop a direction using experience other than what exists inside the institution. This is a super important story. But at the same time, internal matters regarding content, where it is indeed necessary to have this internal expertise and experience of how things were built at the university for many years, remain with the Academic Council," the president said.
Answering a question regarding criticism that such a format of supervisory boards could become a tool of influence for the Ministry of Education and Science over universities and centralize this hierarchy, Semenova stressed that KAI is one of the most state-independent universities.
"Right now, the Ministry of Education and Science sets KPIs for rectors of all other 119 universities and monitors their execution. Can the Ministry of Education objectively monitor the work of such a large number of higher education institutions? Hardly, yet this currently happens centrally. Furthermore, all universities lack financial autonomy—all financial decisions go through the Ministry of Education… Our management model and organizational-legal form provide the autonomy that everyone else wants, but they do not want to take on responsibility alongside it," she emphasized.
Clarifying whether she believes students or university staff should have representation on the supervisory board, Semenova stated no, because other mechanisms exist for that.
"The Academic Council is fully composed of representatives of the staff and students. Plus, the university has the Conference of the Labor Collective as the highest collegiate body, which approves the charter, working conditions, labor discipline, and so on. The main issues related to working conditions at the university are still approved by a body consisting of staff representatives. The philosophy of the supervisory board is for it to be an independent body representing the interests of the state, not the staff. It should not turn into either student self-government or an employee trade union. It must clearly defend the state’s interests in this organization because sometimes the interests of the state do not coincide with the interests of individual employees," the president noted.
She also believes the academic community (staff and students) should not be involved in the election process for the university head.
"The head of a university is an executive director who has key performance indicators and clear tasks set by the supervisory board. Is the head of a student self-government body competent regarding the qualities a company CEO should possess? No. A supervisory board is professional activity; it is not simply seven highly moral people whom we all trust deeply and who will definitely protect student interests. These are professional specialists who know how to work as supervisory board members," she stated.
Semenova noted that as soon as an element of elections and staff representatives is included, it immediately transforms from a professional activity into a political realm.
"For that, there are elections to the Academic Council, which is also a governing body with significant powers; for that, there is the Conference of the Labor Collective; for that, there is student self-government. These are the tools that allow them to exert influence and participate in university management. Including them on the supervisory board is an uncharacteristic function for students, who are the primary clients of the university," she stated.
As reported, in September 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers launched an experimental project in three universities to strengthen the role of supervisory boards. Specifically, participants in the experiment included National Aviation University (NAU), which was reorganized into the state non-profit enterprise National University Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI), as well as Zaporizhia National University and Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.
In April 2024, Kyiv City Council member Kseniia Semenova was appointed acting rector of the then National Aviation University. In August 2025, following elections by the supervisory board, Semenova was elected president of the reformed State Enterprise Kyiv Aviation Institute.
KAI President Semenova states that the university aims to be similar to Finland’s Aalto University, Technical University of Munich, or Delft University of Technology, but over the next 2-4 years will compete for students with universities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.
