Achievements and problems in the sphere of higher education since the time of Ukraine gaining independence until 2013 are briefly presented. The main focus is on the reforms, which started by the adoption of a new version of the Law On Higher Education in 2014. The issues of state higher education policy, the introduction of internal and external quality assurance system in higher education, the changing perception of academic integrity principles within the educational community are examined. The experience of several student initiatives related to their rights protection is generalized. Key challenges faced by the development of high quality higher education in Germany and the European Union are covered.