Eight candidates are competing for the position of rector at Lviv University of Franko.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has registered eight candidates for the position of rector at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. The current head of the institution, Volodymyr Melnyk, is not seeking re-election. ZAXID.NET has confirmed the information about the candidates with the election organizing committee of Lviv University.

Among the candidates is 50-year-old professor and Doctor of Law Volodymyr Burdin. He has headed the university's law faculty since 2015 and specializes in criminal law.

Another candidate is 51-year-old Doctor of Philology and professor of the Department of Ukrainian Folklore Yaroslav Harasym. ZAXID.NET detailed the conflict between Harasym and the university administration in September 2023 here. At that time, the Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee of the Academic Council of LNU accused him of "immoral behavior" due to comments on Facebook about the "academic community" that elected "Voldemort" as rector. Additionally, the journalism faculty of LNU accused the newspaper "Vysokyi Zamok" of conducting a "commissioned and unsubstantiated interview" with Professor Harasym.

Among the candidates is 66-year-old Doctor of Chemical Sciences, professor, and prorector for research work Roman Hladyshevskyi. The scientist researches crystallography. In 2018, the Lviv City Council awarded Hladyshevskyi's family the title of "Noble Lviv Family."

The candidacy of 59-year-old Doctor of Historical Sciences and professor Volodymyr Kachmar was nominated by the LNU trade union. Since 2019, Kachmar has held the position of prorector for research and educational work and social affairs.

Also vying for the position is 52-year-old candidate of physical and mathematical sciences and associate professor Vitaliy Kukharskyi. Since 2014, he has been the prorector for research and educational work and informatization.

The only woman among all candidates is 38-year-old Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, associate professor, and professor of the Department of General Pedagogy and Pedagogy Olha Oserechuk. Her research interests include the quality of higher education and the improvement of teaching skills. From 2019 to 2024, Oserechuk headed the Marketing and Development Center of the university.

Among the candidates is 43-year-old Doctor of Economic Sciences, professor, and head of the Department of Accounting and Auditing Yuriy Radelytskyi. In 2020, he was elected a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council from the "For the Future" party, but he is currently nonpartisan. Radelytskyi heads the committee on agricultural industrial complex activities, entrepreneurship, and investments in the Lviv Regional Council.

Also seeking to lead the university is candidate of legal sciences, associate professor of the Department of International Law Oleh Stolyarskyi. His research interests include international public law, private law, criminal law, financial law, and aviation law.

It is worth noting that since 2014, the rector of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv has been 72-year-old Volodymyr Melnyk. He was re-elected in the 2019 elections. It should be mentioned that according to Ukrainian legislation, Volodymyr Melnyk can no longer head the university, as one person cannot serve as rector for more than two five-year terms.

Additionally, elections at Franko University will take place on April 22. Furthermore, the rector elections at Lviv Polytechnic will be held on March 12.