History

The processes taking place in the world have required and continue to require a system of social sciences that enables the comprehension of new realities and provides knowledge about contemporary society, its political life, economy, culture, religion, and other spheres. Political science occupies an important place within this system of knowledge.

On November 24, 1992, the Department of Political Science and Sociology was established at the O.M. Gorky Kyiv State Pedagogical Institute.

On September 8, 2003, the Department of Political Science and Sociology was reorganized, and the Department of Political Science was created as a graduating department for training specialists at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Later, postgraduate and doctoral programs were opened on the basis of the department.

From 1993 to 2025, the department was headed by the first Doctor of Political Sciences in Ukraine, Professor, Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine, Academician of the Academy of Political Sciences of Ukraine, and Excellence in Education award holder, Olha Babkina. Today, the department is headed by Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Maryna Ostapenko. The academic staff includes Doctors and Candidates of Political Sciences, as well as young and promising researchers. At different times, leading national experts and scholars worked at the department, including Volodymyr Horbatenko, Halyna Zelenko, and others.

Today, the department is a structural unit of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. It provides training in the specialty S2 (052) Political Science at three educational levels: Bachelor, Master, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The Department of Political Science is one of the first in Ukraine to initiate training in Political Science. Currently, its academic staff combines established scholarly traditions with modern approaches to training specialists capable of analyzing and influencing political processes. Since its establishment, the department has been an important center for the implementation and continuous updating of the content and tools of contemporary political education in Ukraine.

The Department of Political Science at Mykhailo Drahomanov Ukrainian State University is a place where students and faculty jointly explore the modern world of politics. The department values new ideas, supports initiatives, and fosters the development of students, young scholars, and educators. Together, we shape the future of political science!