Professional advancement for academic staff involves attaining the academic title of professor. Of course, this requires a challenging path and fulfilling all the required requirements. Let's look at what exactly must be accomplished and how many articles must be submitted to scientific journals to achieve the title of professor in Ukraine.
Requirements for conferring the title of professor
To obtain the title of professor, a researcher must be employed by a university, including a postgraduate institution, that provides high-level educational activities in their field. The following criteria are used to evaluate candidates for this title:
- The applicant has a Doctor of Science degree;
- The applicant was awarded the academic title of "associate professor" or "senior research fellow".
- It is necessary to work in the faculty of a university for at least 15 years, and in the last year to work in one department as an associate professor.
- Possess a certificate confirming proficiency in a foreign language (EU country) at level B2 or higher, or qualification documents related to the use of a foreign language, such as a higher education diploma.
- Possess supporting documents proving that the future professor has studied, completed an internship, or participated in conferences at institutions in a country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or the EU, and confirm participation in projects funded by these countries.
- After defending a doctoral dissertation, a candidate for the title of "professor" must publish scientific and scientific-methodological works in journals that are reviewed by specialized publications.
- The university department where the future professor works must provide confirmation that he or she teaches his or her subject in the state language.
Academic councils decide who should be awarded the academic title of professor. This body ensures that all criteria are met, and that more than six faculty members specializing in the same field vote in favor of the future professor's appointment at the university. These faculty members must also hold the titles of Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, or Professor.
After verifying all information about the research fellow and analyzing all necessary data, the academic council makes a decision. This decision must be approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. It is important that three-quarters of the votes cast in a secret ballot be in favor of the future professor. After this, the certification file is completed, and the professor is awarded a certificate (issued by the Ministry of Education and Science), which confirms their professional qualifications and also affects their salary and eligibility for a new position at the university.
How many articles are needed to obtain the title of professor?
According to the Procedure for Assigning Academic Titles to Research and Teaching Staff, such staff members must have published at least 10 papers in English, in publications included in the WoS and Scopus scientometric databases, and assigned an ISSN (confirmed on the website of the International Center for the Registration of Periodicals). This last point does not apply to individuals with Group I disability.
