Oksen Lisovyi

Good afternoon, dear readers! Today we would like to tell you about the biography of Oksen Lisovyi, a famous teacher and Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. Oksen Lisovyi was born on July 21, 1972, in the Kyiv region. He is the son of the dissident Vasyl Lisovyi, who was persecuted by the Soviet authorities for his human rights activities. Oksen Lisovyi is an educator, educational organizer, member of the Volunteer Tourism Federation of Galicia, associate professor, and PhD in philosophy. He is also the director of the National Center “Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine “13 and a soldier of the 95th Air Assault Brigade.

Oksen Lisovyi is a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Education and Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine. His most famous projects are the creation of the Museum of Science of Ukraine and the reform of the education system in Ukraine. This article will give you the details of his life, education, career, and achievements. We hope you find it interesting and inspiring.

Childhood and family

Oksen Lisovyi grew up in a family of teachers who were active participants in the Ukrainian human rights movement. His father, Vasyl Lisovyi, was a philosopher, logician, dissident, and organizer of Ukrainian samizdat in the 1960s and 1970s. His mother, Vira Lisova, was a linguist, publicist, and dissident who helped the families of political prisoners. A week before Oksen’s birth, his father was arrested and imprisoned for 11 years for writing an open letter in defense of the arrested Sixties activists. His mother, a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, was fired from her job and left with her 6-year-old daughter waiting for her son without any means of support.

Oksen’s childhood was troubled, with constant searches, interrogations, and suspicions, but despite political repression and pressure, Vira Lisova continued to help the families of political prisoners. Oksen spent the summer of 1981 awaiting trial in Novaya Bryana in the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, where his father was in exile. There, the Lisovys were able to reunite their family, but Vasyl Lisovyi was arrested again for his protests against the deployment of Soviet troops to Afghanistan. Vira Lisova acted as a defense attorney in her husband’s case. The Lisovy family lived in exile for two years in the village of Ilka, where Vasyl Lisovy worked as a turner. Oksena’s sister graduated from high school, and the boy finished grades 3 and 4. In June 1983, the family returned to Kyiv.

Oksen Lisovyi is married. Together with his wife, he has two sons.

Education

Oksen Lisovyi graduated from the Reshetylivka Art School of Folk Crafts with a degree in ceramics. Then he entered the Kyiv State Institute of Culture, specializing in library and information systems. In 2009, he defended his PhD thesis in philosophical anthropology on “Anthropological aspects of creativity in the context of globalization”. In 2015, he was promoted to associate professor. Oksen Lisovyi has also taken courses and internships in education, science, innovation, leadership, management, communication, and other areas.

Career

Oksen Lisovyi began his professional career as a teacher at the Kyiv-Mohyla Collegium, where he taught history, philosophy, cultural studies, ethics, law, logic, psychology, fencing, and other subjects.

He was also a fencing coach and supported the activities of the Sich youth organization. In 2000, he moved to a management position in the General Directorate of Ukrtelecom, where he was responsible for the development of information technology and communications.

Since 2010, Oksen Lisovyi has been the Director of the National Center “Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” (MASU), which unites more than 100 thousand students, teachers and scientists from all over Ukraine. Under his leadership, the MASU implements numerous educational, scientific, innovative, cultural, and public projects aimed at developing the creative potential of young people, supporting gifted children, popularizing science, and shaping national identity and civic consciousness. Oksen Lisovyi is also the initiator and organizer of Ukraine’s first Museum of Science, which opened in September 2020. The Museum of Science is an interactive space where visitors can learn about the history and modernity of Ukrainian science, see unique exhibits, experiments and demonstrations, and take part in scientific workshops, lectures, quests and other events.

 

In March 2023, Oksen Lisovyi was appointed Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. He became the youngest minister in the history of Ukraine. Oksen Lisovyi holds this position in the face of complex challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Donbas, reform of the educational and scientific spheres, integration into the European educational space, and others. Oksen Lisovyi advocates for the modernization of education, improving the quality and accessibility of educational services, ensuring academic freedom and autonomy, supporting research and innovation, developing digital education and distance learning, promoting international cooperation and mobility, strengthening patriotic education and civic education.

Achievements

Oksen Lisovyi is the author of more than 250 scientific publications and 25 author’s scientific editions in philosophy, pedagogy, cultural studies, history, law, psychology, logic, ethics, fencing, and others. He is also a member of the editorial boards of the journals “Bulletin of the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”, “Scientific Notes of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, “Scientific Bulletin of the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University”.

Oksen Lisovyi is the winner of the State Prize of Ukraine in Education for his series of works “All-Ukrainian Educational Internet Portal “Island of Knowledge” (2012). This portal is the largest educational resource in Ukraine that provides access to electronic textbooks, training materials, tests, online courses, video lectures, virtual laboratories, interactive games, and more. Oksen Lisovyi is also an Honored Worker of Education of Ukraine (2021) for his significant personal contribution to state-building, strengthening national security, socio-economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of the Ukrainian state, significant labor achievements, and many years of conscientious work.

Oksen Lisovyi is one of the most influential people in Ukrainian education and science. He is one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Ukraine according to Korrespondent magazine. He is also one of the leaders of the New Ukrainian School social movement, which promotes modern approaches to education based on competencies, critical thinking, creativity, cooperation, and values. Oksen Lisovyi is an active participant in international educational forums, conferences, and seminars, where he presents Ukrainian experience and expresses his position on global challenges and prospects for education1 . Oksen Lisovyi is not only an influential but also a popular minister who enjoys support from the public, educators, academics, students, parents, and pupils. He is also an active user of social media, where he communicates with his followers, sharing his thoughts, plans, news, photos and videos. Oksen Lisovyi is an example of a successful, talented, courageous and influential personality who has made a significant contribution to the development of education and science in Ukraine.

Conclusion

In this article, we told you about the biography of Oksen Lisovyi, a well-known teacher and Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. We looked at his childhood, family, education, career, and achievements. We have seen that Oksen Lisovyi is an outstanding, talented, courageous and influential personality who has made a significant contribution to the development of education and science in Ukraine. He is a role model and admired by many people. We hope you found this article useful and educational. To finish our article, we would like to share with you a few quotes from Oksen Lisovyi that reflect his views on life:

• “Education is not only knowledge, but also the ability to apply it in different situations.”
• “Science is not only about discoveries, but also about innovations that change the world for the better.”
• “Creativity is not only art, but also a way of thinking that allows you to see new possibilities.”
• “Leadership is not only about power, but also about responsibility, which requires courage, honesty and wisdom.”
• “Citizenship is not only about rights, but also about responsibilities that require patriotism, solidarity, and activism.”

 

Thank you for your attention and interest in our article. We wish you success in your studies and life! 🙌