Faculty of Electronics NTUU "KPI" pays much attention to international cooperation in the scientific and educational sphere. Recently there was an event which, of course, was a landmark for the entire faculty and KPI. First time it was defended a thesis as a result of post-graduate training in our and foreign universities.

Contacts between the research groups of FL and the University of the city Leuven (Belgium) began in 2013, when post graduate students of physical and biomedical electronics Pavlo Sergienko and Konstantin Savin (supervisor - Assoc. Y. Prokopenko) decided to do an internship in one of the recognized research laboratories in the world. They appealed to Professor Guy Vandenbosch, who directs the Laboratory of Telecommunications and microwaves (TELEMIC) at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in this university. Our graduate students have sent a description of their dissertation research and a list of its publications and proposed to the Professor Vandenbosch description of the projects on which they planned to work in his laboratory during the internship. Prof. Vandenbosch said that these projects will also be interested in his laboratory, and sent the invitation to Pavlo and Constantine to work at the University Leuven. He helped also with the preparation of documents for submission of the grant.

A few months post-graduate students received good news – their application was satisfied, and they received funds for training in the laboratory of Vandenbosch.

Within a few weeks after the arrival of post-graduate professor was convinced that the level of training of our young scientists is very decent, and they really are doing research on a global level. He therefore proposed that the students to get a degree not only in Ukraine, but present also their work to obtain the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Leuven. It turns out that this is a common practice in Europe. There the graduate students, while working in the laboratory, have the right to present their results to obtain the degree from this university.

There was started the work to sign the contract on the organization and leadership. It had to answer the question, how will the procedure for submission of work in both universities will be carried out, where the defense should take place. Some requirements as to the issue of joint publications, as well as the issues of intellectual property were discussed also. The main problem was that the procedures and requirements for the award of the degree in Ukraine and Belgium are drastically different. They had to be coordinated in a single document, and so as to satisfy both sides. But with the help of the legal department KPI formalities were agreed, and the procedure was determined.

First, a preliminary defense of the thesis should be held in Leuven before a joint committee of scientists from Belgium and Ukraine. If the work meets the requirements Leuven’s university, then the procedure begins of defending his thesis in NTUU "KPI" - purely by Ukrainian standards. If specialized council awarded a PhD candidate for a degree, it also automatically receives and doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Leuven.

January 19, 2015 in the KPI the teleconference was organized, in which Pavlo Sergienko presented his thesis to joint committee. On the part of the KPI it was participated by the scientific advisor of post-graduate, PhD. associate professor, Y. Prokopenko and Dr., prof. Y.M. Poplavko, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. The report and the answers to the questions were successful, therefore, the first stage of admission to the protection of the work was completed.

February 10, Pavlo Sergienko presented his thesis at the meeting of the Academic Council. The professor Vandenbosh participated the defense as a guest. The defense was also successful, the degree of Ph.D. was awarded to the applicant receiving all the "yes" votes.

Immediately after the announcement of a positive decision of the Dissertation Council prof. Vandenbosch solemnly handed Paul Sergienko diploma to award the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the University city Leuven. Thus, for the first time in the history of KPI our graduate student has received two degrees from two respected universities. Konstantin Savin continued his scientific work, and defense of the thesis is in front of him.

During the negotiations the Belgian side drew attention to the large number of documents, considerable complexity and multi-stage procedure thesis defense in Ukraine. At the same time colleagues from Belgium noted that such a procedure is, by and large, provides high quality work for which was awarded the degree. It should be noted that, in accordance with the new Law on Higher Education, conclusion and implementation of agreements on joint management of graduate students is not as difficult as it used to, and Ukraine a scientific degree will be awarded by universities and not the state.

Anton Popov, Associate Professor, Department of Physical and biomedical electronics FE,
responsible for the direction educational and scientific work and international cooperation

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