Editorial

The history of the University dates back to the XIXth century, when on November 17, 1804, by the order of Emperor Alexander I, the Kharkiv Imperial University was established. It included the Department of Ethic and Political Sciences, which in 1835 was officially renamed into the Faculty of Law of the University  (Tatsiy,  Bytyak  & Getman, 2014,  p. 9).

Today, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University is one of the most authoritative institutions of higher education in Ukraine. It is a recognized training centre for highly professional lawyers for various areas of legal practice and an active participant in building the rule of law in Ukraine.

Thanks to its achievements, the University has a high reputation among the recognized legal centers of Ukraine and foreign countries, for many years it firmly holds a leading position in the field of legal education, as proved by numerous ratings and awards, high demand in the labour market, attractiveness for applicants.

The amount of knowledge, competences and business qualities of the graduates of our University were and remain a kind of standard for training specialists in the field of law. In particular, experts who later became prominent statesmen, high-ranking officials, heads of the highest judicial and law enforcement bodies of the country, who fruitfully work in business structures of Ukraine and abroad, as well as teachers, scientists and politicians were educated in the University.

The University has significant scientific and pedagogical potential. Teaching, research and educational work are provided by 38 departments by more than 700 teachers. Among them are more than 130 doctors of sciences, professors, more than 500 candidates of sciences, associate professors; academicians and corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, etc. (Tatsiy, 2020,  p. 14).

Today, almost 10,000 students study at the University. The structure of the University includes 6 educational institutes, four full-time faculties, evening and correspondence faculties, as well as separate structural subdivisions (Poltava Law Institute, Institute of Management and Law (Kyiv), Poltava Law College).

In addition, the University carries out significant research work on fundamental and applied problems of jurisprudence. The University is actively involved in national, regional and international research programs and projects. More than 700 scientific publications are published annually, including monographs, scientific articles, textbooks and manuals.

Much attention is paid by the University’s lawyers to the organization of legislative activity, the implementation of the obtained research results in the legislative process. University scientists take an active part in the preparation of draft laws, are experts in the development of important regulations, make suggestions for improving existing legislation. In particular, they drafted the Constitution of Ukraine, are the authors and scientific experts of a significant number of bills and codes considered and adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The creative connections of the University with law schools and leading centers of legal science of Ukraine and abroad are constantly strengthened. Thanks to hard and tedious work, the University is one of the leaders in the field of international activities among institutions of higher legal education. The University is a member of the European University Association, European Law Faculties Association and is a signatory to the Magna Charta Universitatum.  Currently, the cooperation has been established and agreements have been signed with universities in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, the United States, China and other countries.  Over the years, six Tempus projects have been successfully implemented with the University of Hertfordshire (UK), University of Cork (Ireland), Royal Institute of Technology KTH (Sweden), University of Alicante (Spain) and others.

With the support of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, University is the organizer of one of the most ambitious national annual events in the legal field – Kharkiv International Legal Forum, attended by lawyers and public figures from over 20 countries.

The University publishes 6 specialized collections of scientific works: printed – «Problems of legality», «Bulletin of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University. Series: Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Political Science, Sociology», «Economic Theory and Law» and electronic – «Theory and Practice of Jurisprudence», «Forensic Criminalist» and «Bulletin of the Association of Criminal Law of Ukraine». In addition, the collections of scientific works of the University today have the highest rating among domestic scientific periodicals of legal orientation.

Our institution has significant achievements in the development of material base. At present, the University has 20 modernly equipped educational buildings, 16 comfortable dormitories, sports, cultural and entertainment centers, the most modern Educational and Library Complex.  The best Students’ Palace in Ukraine was built and now is functioning effectively, where, in particular, a professional students’ theatre of a wide genre orientation is successfully operating.

No less important is the physical education and development of sports, which are an integral part of the process of forming general and professional culture of students. Currently, the University has almost 50 gyms, swimming pools, stadiums, where one can take up physical culture and sports. Every year, the students and the staff of the University win 200-250 medals of various kinds as the result of their participation in students’ Universiades, domestic, European and world championships (Tatsiy, 2020,  p.8).

All these results were achieved by the stuff during more than 30-year rectorship of Academician Vasyl Tatsyi, under the leadership of whom the University has made an extremely powerful step towards the development and improvement of educational, scientific, innovative, international and socio-economic activities.