Serhiy Myronovych Kvit (; born 26 November 1965), is a Ukrainian literary critic, journalist, educator and social activist. Former champion of Ukraine in fencing (1984). Serhiy Kvit served as Rector (President) of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy from 2007 until 2014. He occupied the position of Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine in 2014-2016 when the progressive Laws on Higher Education (2014) and On Science and Research (2015) were adopted. In 2015 Serhiy Kvit signed an agreement that allowed Ukrainian scientists and businesses to fully participate in Horizon 2020 (H2020), the European Union’s flagship research program.
Childhood and education
Serhiy Kvit was born in the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia region. In 1982, Kvit graduated from high school No 17 in Lviv. In 1983–1985, in connection with military service, Serhiy served in the 29th separate sports company of the Prykarpattia Military District, Soviet Army.
After military service he entered the preparatory department of the Faculty of Journalism of the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University, graduating in 1991. At the same time, during his student years, Serhiy Kvit started working as a journalist. In 1990 he became a founding member of the New Literature Association.
In 1986-1991 he studied at the faculty of journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University.
Kvit obtained a Ph.D. from the Ukrainian Free University in Munich (2001) and also holds a doctorate in philology from the Taras Shevchenko National University (2002). He subsequently held Fulbright scholarships at Ohio University and Stanford University (USA), a Kennan Institute scholarship at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre in Washington DC and a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship at the University of Cologne.
Media activities
After graduating from the university, in the same year, he began working in the specialty as an editor of the department in the journal "Word and Time", Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In 1993, Kvit became the editor-in-chief of the journal Ukrainian Problems, and two years later he became a member of the Mykola Mikhnovsky Scientific Society.
In 1999, Kvit headed the press and book publishing department of the State Committee for Information Policy, Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine.
Serhiy Kvit is a prominent commentator on educational and mass media issues. In 2002-07 he was Dean of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy's social studies faculty. He founded the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Journalism in 2001 and became President of the Media Reform Centre, set up to initiate open debate and promote more transparent media and government. In 2005-2011 he served as chairman of the Consortium of University Autonomy. Dr. Kvit's research focuses on educational and media reforms, mass communications, and philosophical hermeneutics; he has published several books and numerous articles. In the university, in addition to teaching, he also graduated from the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, in 2004 he passed the module "Strategy in conditions of turbulence", in 2005 "Mastery of human resources management", in 2011 "Adizes Problem Solving", and in 2021 Program "School for Strategy Architects".
Ministership
After the Revolution of Dignity, Kvit was appointed Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine by the first Yatsenyuk Government on 27 February 2014 and continued to hold the post under the second Yatsenyuk Government. He did not retain his post in the Groysman Government that was installed on 14 April 2016. Serhiy Kvit is a Honoris Causa of Transcarpathian Academy of Arts, Uzhhorod (2017).
On July 1, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law on Higher Education, and on July 31, it was signed by President Petro Poroshenko. Work on it was carried out on the basis of discussion by the public, students, and representatives of more than 30 educational organizations.
In the October 2014 parliamentary election, Kvit was elected to Ukraine's parliament Verkhovna Rada on the Petro Poroshenko Bloc electoral list (placed 11th on this list). The Verkhovna Rada terminated his powers as a People's Deputy when he was re-appointed to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 2 December 2014.