The European integration processes cover more and more spheres of life, including higher education. Ukraine has precisely determined a reference point on involvement into the European educational and research area, realizing modernization of educational activity in the European requests' context, persistently working on practical annexation to the Bologna process.

In 1997 under the aegis of the European Council and UNESCO Lisbon communique on recognizing qualifications of the European higher education was developed, adopted and signed by 43 countries (Ukraine including). The Lisbon agreement declares availability and value of diverse educational systems and sets as the purpose to create conditions under which the increasing number of people, having taken advantage of all values and achievements of national education systems and sciences will be able to become mobile on the European labour-market.

On May, 25, 1998 Ministers of Education of France, Italy, the Great Britain and Germany signed the so-called Sorbonne declaration "On harmonization of the European higher education system" at the conference devoted to the 800th anniversary of the Parisian university. The task of that conference was to create an open European higher education area which can become more competitive in the world market of educational services. The main idea of these documents consists of two-cycle higher education structure, use of the credits' system (ECTS), international recognition of a bachelor as a higher education level which grants a person qualification and the right to keep training under a master's curriculum according to the Lisbon agreement provisions. Thus conditions for integration processes in sphere of the European countries' higher education were created. Ukraine has been an active participant of these processes.

On June, 19, 1999 Ministers of Education of 29 European countries signed the Bologna declaration which main purpose was to create the European Higher Education Area in which teachers and students will be able to move freely and their qualifications will have been recognized by 2010. These two documents which became manifestation of understanding common problems and aspiration to create the European Higher Education Area formally began the Bologna process which covers the majority of the European countries today.

The following stage of the Bologna process began in Prague on May, 19, 2001 where representatives of 33 European countries signed the Prague communique. The summit confirmed the items concerning the purposes determined by the Bologna declaration, evaluated highly active participation of the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB) in the process of the European Universities Association (EUA) and the constructive help on the part of the European commission. Countries-participants expressed their remarks concerning the further process considering different purposes of the Bologna declaration.

The third stage of the Bologna process started in Berlin on September, 18–19, 2003. Essentially new decision of the Berlin summit, namely distribution of all-European requests and standards on doctor's degrees as well. It is established that in countries – the Bologna process participants there can be one doctor's degree –"Doctor of Philosophy" in corresponding fields of knowledge (natural, socio-humanitarian, economic sciences, etc.). The formula of three-stage education (3-5-8) according to which not less than three year training is realized for receiving a "bachelor's" level, not less than 5 year training is realized for receiving a "master's" degree and not less than 8 year training is realized for receiving "Doctor of Philosophy" degree was offered.

Activity of the European Commission, the European Council, and UNESCO, some European universities as well as the European net of information centers preceded to the Bologna process. The Bologna process geographically is not limited to frameworks of the European Union; its participants can become countries – members of the European cultural convention who will prove their readiness to adhere to the purposes and principles of the Bologna process in the higher education system. Today 40 European countries, including Russia, have signed the Bologna declaration. It is obvious, that there is no alternative for Ukraine; participation in the Bologna process is a chance of realizing Eurointegration strategy, assisting to improving education quality, solving the problem of recognition of the Ukrainian diplomas abroad. The primary goal is to introduce the system of academic credits stipulated by the Bologna declaration which is similar to ЕСТS (European credit- transfer system). It is considered as a means of students' mobility increase for transition from one curriculum to another, including programs of postgraduate education, as well as reforming curriculums and transfer of credits to higher educational establishments of other countries. An important point of introducing accumulative credit system is the possibility to take into account all student's achievements, not just an academic load, for example, participation in researches, conferences, subject Olympiads, etc.

Determination of substantial training modules on each discipline, coordination of credit systems of student achievements assessment should become the basis for solution of another purpose declared in Bologna – creation of conditions for free movement of students, teachers, managers of education and researchers on the European territory.

Availability of internal and external state and public monitoring systems of education quality is also considered obligatory.
Determinative criteria of education in the Bologna process frameworks are as follows: quality of specialists' training; strengthening of trust between subjects of education; conformity to the European labour-market; mobility; compatibility of qualification on graduate and postgraduate stages of training; intensification of the European education system competitiveness.

The curriculum of the Ukrainian higher education development is designed for students who are trained under education-qualifying programs of masters and post-graduate students' training, as well as for students of faculties of advanced training and retraining. It can be used for holding scientific-methodical seminars with pedagogical staff of higher educational establishments as well as among the pedagogical public.
The program is designed according to requests of credit-modular system of educational process organization in higher educational establishments and coordinated with the structure of the training course contents which was recommended by the European credit-transfer system (ECTS).

The primary goals and principles of creating the European higher education area (six purposes of the Bologna process): introduction of two-cyclic training; implementation of the credit system; formation of the education quality monitoring system; expansion of students' and teachers' mobility; provision of graduates' employment and the European education system appeal.

The further actions for achievement of the Bologna process purposes are as follows: adoption of clear and adequate degrees system; inclusion of the two-cyclic education system (two-stage and subsequent training); introduction of the credits' system, i.e. system of credits accruing (ECTS) or its other joint systems which are capable to provide both differential-distinctive and accruing functions; contribution to students and teachers' mobility (elimination of barriers to free students and teachers' moving); provision of higher education high-quality standards; assistance to the European higher education approach (introduction of curricula, courses, modules with the "European" contents); long life training; common work of higher educational establishments and students as competent, active and constructive partners in establishment and formation of the European higher education area.

According to the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine of 15.06.2004 № 481 the National STS Academy of Ukraine is included into the list of higher educational establishments of III-IV accreditation levels which participate in pedagogical experiment on introduction of credit-modular system into educational process organization. According to the orders of the Ukrainian STA and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, since September, 1, 2004 the "Higher education and Bologna process" subject is included into educational process for masters and post-graduate students at the rate of 36 hours. According to the order of the Academy's Rector № 1125 of 28.05.2004 Coordination council including functions of accompaniment and generalization of results of realizing the Bologna declaration provisions has been created and is acting. The structure of six working groups on introduction of provisions and requests of the Bologna declaration at the National STS academy of Ukraine has been affirmed.

The order of the Academy's Rector of 15.09.2004 "On the approval of actions on realization of the Bologna declaration provisions in the system of higher education and science of Ukraine for 2004–2005" introduction of the following actions is planned: creation of electronic courses of subjects and development of their study methods; provision of involving scientific and pedagogical elite of the Academy in international scientific cooperation; organization and realization of the language courses for students, post-graduate students and employees of the Academy; organization of training students at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; establishment of contacts with educational institutions of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Great Britain (Nottingham university), etc. with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

The first stage of the experiment (2003–2004) provided development of educational-methodical materials, contents of education, forms of educational process organization, their approbation in experimental groups, certain directions of training specialties. Since September, 1, 2004 at the financial faculty of the Academy pedagogical experiment on credit-modular system of educational process organization has been carried out.

The second stage (2005–2008) should carry out corrective amendments into experimental materials and their approbation on the greater file of the experiment participants.

On August, 30, 2004 the Rector of the National STS academy of Ukraine approved "Temporary regulation on the final control system, estimation of knowledge and determination of students' rating". The system of final control, knowledge estimation and determination of the students' rating introduced by the Academy as an experiment in the frameworks of the Bologna process does not provide obligatory semestrial examinations for all students. During an educational semester students pass the modular control, carry out individual tasks, write reports; their knowledge is evaluated on a 100-mark scale. Students who have collected by the results of tests on concrete subjects not less the established minimum quantity of points are certified on these disciplines with giving a state semestrial mark ("excellent", "good", "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory") according to a transfer scale. The students certificated with an "unsatisfactory" mark are obliged to pass semestrial examinations. Students who wish to increase a mark received by the modular control results can take semestrial examinations too. The estimation of knowledge at examinations is realized on a 100-mark scale with the subsequent transfer into a state mark.

With the purpose of providing pedagogical experiment on introduction of credit-modular system of educational process organization at the financial faculty working groups of organizational and methodical accompaniment of experiment and development of methodical materials on adaptation of curricula and working syllabuses of subjects are created; seminars for research and pedagogical officials are organized.
For students of educational-qualifying "master" level the training course is introduced, it is called "Higher education of Ukraine and the Bologna process". The course of pedagogical experiment is being constantly considered on the Academic Council and scientific-methodical councils' meetings; it is also discussed during administration's sittings.

Taking into account ЕСТS requests, the work on development of curricula, test-examination sheets, record-books, a log-book of a student's individual work, etc. is being continued.

In 2004-2005 International scientific-practical conference "Entire economic area: essence, problems and mechanisms of realization" a number of department conferences, round table discussions, the debates concerning integration of Ukraine in the European educational area were held at the Academy.

On May, 12–13, 2005 the third Irpin international pedagogical readings "Humanization problems of training and education in higher educational establishments" were held where the issues of Ukraine's involvement in the Bologna process were widely covered.
The work carried out at the financial faculty shows that use of the modular form of training organization positively influences on intensification of educational process, ordering of a teaching material development, increase of motivation and responsibility of students for training results, maintenance of students' stable psychological state due to realization of the through control and passing of semestrial examinations upon personal desire with the purpose of increasing the received final mark, or in case of receiving an unsatisfactory mark by the modular control results.

At the same time intermediate results of the pedagogical experiment carried out at the financial faculty revealed a number of problems, contraventions, drawbacks on which all scientific and pedagogical staff is working at present. Main attention is paid to such questions as: 1) development of new generation of scientific-methodical subject provision, including methodical maintenance of the remote form of training (modular curricula and modular teaching technologies); 2) improvement of organizing students' individual and independent work; 3) development of new means of the knowledge control (including those with the computer help); 4) time increase for consultation and control over fulfillment of independent, individual lessons at the expense of reducing time of auditorium training; 5) increase of students' foreign languages knowledge level taking into account a possibility of training abroad, participation in international seminars, conferences; 6) integration of subjects with the purpose of avoiding duplication, reduction of disciplines' amount and hours' quantity of less than one credit; 7) development of the structural-logic schemes causing certain sequence in study of any disciplines, distribution of training hours by certain stages; 8) provision of the library with foreign literature, etc.

Increase of students' knowledge rating can be achieved under condition of successful solution of questions' complex which requires new vision and reconsideration of many problems both at the state higher school level and at the level of our university directly.

With the purpose of organizing realization of pedagogical experiment on introducing credit-modular system of educational process organization the decision to introduce credit-modular system of educational process organization at all day time faculties since September, 1, 2005 was made at the National STS academy of Ukraine by the order № 809 of 29.04.2005 "On realization of pedagogical experiment".
According to the Rector's order № 640 of 05.04.2005 "On preparation and issue of information packets" higher educational establishment should have three basic ECTS elements: information packet; contract on training between students and higher educational establishment; academic information of knowledge assessment by the ECTS system. Heads of the departments (except for the military training faculty) are entrusted to develop and affirm the working program for each discipline taking into account credit-modular system of educational process organization.

Taking into account necessity of increasing level of foreign languages knowledge, courses of foreign languages' study for the faculty, employees and students of the Academy were organized. During 2004–2005 the courses of the English and German languages for 100 employees of the Academy for 7 groups were created. Paid courses and additional classes for students in the Polish, French, English and German languages are organized too. The students' club of the English language connoisseurs "Top Success" including 25 members of all faculties works. Since September, 2005 introduction of the students' English language training under the "British Council" program for professional communication is planned.

In March, 2005 testing of 73 students and 2 post-graduate students of all faculties (TOEFL computer version) was carried out. As a result the best students received recommendations for participation in international educational programs. In May, 2004 testing of 31 employees' foreign languages knowledge was carried out, the best of them were recommended for participation in international exchange programs. Together with the British Council in Ukraine and the department of foreign languages the interuniversity scientific-methodical seminar "Modern innovative technologies in foreign languages teaching" was held on December, 8, 2004.

In 2004 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairsе of Ukraine 9 students were trained, in 2005 5 students were trained.
Cooperation of the international relations department of the Academy with the Department of international cooperation and the European integration of the Ministry of Education and science has been arranged. The treaty on the possibility of the Academy participation in training programs of foreign educational institutions since 2005 was signed.

In 2005–2006 the government of the Polish Republic will declare next, the third, round of the Stipendial program started in 2003, for young researchers of some European and Asian countries, including Ukraine. The stipendial program is intended for young researchers in the following fields: international relations, history, political science, sociology, ethnology, cultural science, public psychology, administration and management.

The agreement with the Poznan (Poland) Higher school of accounting and commerce was signed, cooperation with the university named after M. Skladovskaya-Kjuri (Lublin, Poland) is being established; negotiations are being carried out with the Tax academy of the South African republic.

Search and monitoring of international educational programs is constantly being realized. Competition under the programs of DAAD (Germany); of future leaders exchange of the American international education association; educational program of Fulbright Fund for graduates of higher educational establishments (USA), the British grant for postgraduate education in the Great Britain, Edmund Maski Master's and Candidate programs of the Department on problems of the USA culture and education and Council of researches and exchanges (USA), the Euroasian program of students' exchange of the Department on problems of the USA culture and education and Council of researches and exchanges (USA) has been declared. The teacher of the "Enterprise Economy" department Paentko T.V. presented the application form for participation in the summer IREX School.

The memorandum of cooperation between the National STS academy of Ukraine and the European collegium of the Polish and Ukrainian universities has been concluded; the agreement on scientific and educational cooperation between the Academy and the Higher school of administration and management in Pshemyshl (Poland) has been signed, partner relations with the Geneva University have been established.