February 19 employees of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" welcomed colleagues from two universities - National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture.
Their presidents Stanislav Nikolaenko and Peter Kulikov led the delegations of these well-known universities.
For the Kiev Polytechnic NUL&ES and KNUCA - is not just universities that also have the status of national and are working in the capital of Ukraine. Both universities were separated from KPI.: Kyiv Agricultural Institute (now - National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine) was established in 1922 on the basis of agricultural (agronomic) Faculty of KPI. Kiev Construction Institute (now - Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture) was created in 1930 on the basis of its Faculty of factory and public works.
Of course, in certain areas specialists from all three universities always supported and maintained a good working relationship. However, such representative delegations NAU and KNUCA (the delegations include also Vice-Rectors, Deans and leading scientists from universities) have visited the KPI for the first time. Therefore, before proceeding to the discussion of partnerships and ways to deepen cooperation, the guests had a tour of the campus KPI. The first object, which they visited was the Scientific Library of G.I.Denisenko. They also visited the monuments of outstanding scientists and engineers who have studied and worked in the KPI, the exposition of the State Polytechnic Museum of Ukraine and the Department of Aviation and Astronautics of Sikorsky and acquainted with the exhibition hall of the Scientific Park "Kyiv Polytechnic".
After the tour there was held meaningful meeting of representatives of the three universities on the difficult situation that is going through high school. The participants were speaking how to adapt education to the needs of today and of the forms and the prospects for cooperation.
Rector NTUU "KPI" Michael Zgurovsky talked about the features of the educational process in the KPI, research and innovation activity of the scientists and university students and the role of the Scientific Park "Kyiv Polytechnic" to ensure that activities and the implementation and commercialization of promising projects.
He noted that the university science is the reserve, the use of which may contribute to the removal of Ukraine's economy out of the current dismal state, and cited a number of statistics that clearly show how important to the economies of developed countries is an innovative factor. The level of development of these countries is determined, in particular, a high level of industry and business cooperation with universities in the field of innovation and technology.
"Our goal with you, of course, is to create another new model of the Ukrainian economy. And through universities this should be done, - said Michael Zgurovsky. - This model is based on a combination of high-tech business that can operate in all sectors of the economy - and in agriculture and construction, and others - human capital. This is probably the last capital that we have stayed. But we should create such conditions that the capital will be transformed into economic growth and social development of the country. We estimate that by the inclusion of human capital in high-tech development direction it can increase the level of high-tech exports from 3.5%, which we have at the moment, to at least 20% in 2020. And due to this, the contribution to GDP from the high-tech production to increase from 4% to about 50%. "
One form of co-operation in this regard would be an education of the students from partner institutions in the Startup School SIKORSKY CHALLENGE. The director of educational and methodical complex "Institute for Postgraduate Education" NTUU "KPI" Inna Malyukova informed the participants about such possibility.
The rector of NUL&ES Ukraine Stanislav Nikolaenko told the audience about others directions of the partnership. There are a lot of them. For NUL&ES scientists who work with biological objects and the wildlife there are as follows: joint developments to improve the quality of food and drinking water, the solution to the problem of land records, the development of alternative energy sources and the like. There is also the restoration of modern agricultural machinery, which is lost now in Ukraine, and much more.
With extraordinary interest the participants have listened the report of the Director of the State Polytechnic Museum at NTUU "KPI" Natalia Pisarevskaya. She talked about little-known facts from the history of the formation of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, illustrating her story with rare photographs from the museum funds .
Summarizing the meeting, Michael Zgurovsky proposed the creation of association of universities that share a common history, to overcome common problems and recovery and further cooperation.