There will be a new institute in Kyiv Polytechnic. It is created on the basis of two faculties: engineering physics and welding. In addition to them, the new institute will include the Department of Laser Technology and Physical and Technical Technologies, which is now part of the Mechanics and Engineering Institute.
The most important questions about the creation of the new structure were answered by the First Vice-Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Yurii Yakymenko, Vice-Rector for Research Vitalii Pasichnyk, IFF Dean Petro Loboda and WF Dean Serhii Fomichov.
Why did you decide to create a new institute?
There are new challenges for scientists in the fields of materials science and welding. Today, the process of creating new materials is closely related to the manufacture of structures. New materials require the latest welding technologies: laser, plasma, electron beam and hybrid based on them. Therefore, the border between the two industries is becoming almost invisible, and the combination of the two faculties into a new institute will open up wide opportunities in the training of specialists and in scientific developments.
Yurii Yakymenko: Development Strategy of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute is based on providing a traditionally high level of fundamental training with the simultaneous introduction of new areas and educational programs that meet modern advanced technologies and market requirements. This requires improving the structure of university departments. In particular, this year the Institute of Aerospace Technologies was created, a number of departments were reorganized, and with the latest decision of the Academic Council on the initiative of the Engineering Physics and Welding Faculties, a new Institute of Materials Science and Advanced Technologies was created on their basis.
Vitalii Pasichnyk: The world is changing very fast, technology is changing fast. This is the fourth industrial revolution, which is associated with significant revolutionary changes occurring in production processes. Our structure met Soviet standards. Now there is a global trend towards integration and sophistication of technology (Advanced Technology), and it requires the efforts of specialists from different fields. The combination of IFF, WF, and the department of LTTPT just corresponds to modern challenges. It is necessary to create industrial technologies based on new materials and introduce them into the real sector of the economy. It is important to note that the decision to create the institute was made by the participants themselves – faculties, departments, and not “lowered from above” in an administrative order.
What are the benefits of the new structure?
The new institute significantly expands the prospects for both faculty and students. In particular, the implementation of large strategic scientific and educational projects of state and international levels, the reduction of the process of obtaining an innovative competitive product. Students, young scientists, teachers will have more opportunities for self-realization, among other things – through the joint use of the laboratory base, which will also expand.
Vitalii Pasichnyk The model of the new institute brings us closer to the leading foreign educational institutions, where the educational process is built specifically on scientific research conducted on the basis of higher education institutions. This model allows the release of more competent and high-quality specialists. In addition, it expands opportunities for cooperation with the real sector of the economy, and this means additional funds.
Petro Loboda: Life requires us (IFF and WF) to unite. Someone will be responsible for welding, someone for materials science, someone for interaction. In this case, our result, our product will not have competitors. Today, the manufacturer needs a specialist who has the broadest knowledge in the field of metallurgy, materials science, welding, the latest methods of processing materials – laser, electron beam, etc. All these technologies are used in mechanical engineering, aircraft manufacturing, even in medicine. The new institute will train such a specialist specifically. We will have a balanced curriculum. Material scientists will know more about what will happen in welding, and vice versa – welders will know the properties of the material.
Serhii Fomichov: The key word is development. We have new opportunities. Welding processes are very complex, but it is part of the overall life cycle of materials. We can now create any material that we need. The university has unique world-class scientific schools for the creation of such materials. Then our welding technologies are already included. And in the field of welding, scientific schools of the university are also world-class, founded by Y.Paton. So we cover the entire life cycle: creating new material - processing and providing the necessary properties of the material - production of the structure - monitoring and quality of technological processes - monitoring of the technical condition and ensuring trouble-free operation till disposal of the structure ..
Will approaches to finance the new structure change?
Today, public funding is tied to the number of students in departments. Since this indicator will not change in total, then there will be no change in state funds. At the same time, given the expansion of scientific and research potential after the unification of faculties and the creation of a new institute, financial opportunities will expand.
Vitalii Pasichnyk: Financing of scientific and pedagogical workers comes from several sources; the main thing is for teaching activity, which is still tied to the number of students. Separately funded research. Here we have huge reserves for increasing this component. Scientists should not rely only on funding for student training, but actively cooperate with the economic sector, with industrial enterprises, to prove the need to invest money in carrying out scientific research. If we take the leading universities in the world, then they earn more money through scientific, innovative activity than for teaching students.
Does the creation of a new Institute mean the disappearance of two faculties?
The main difference between the faculty and the institute is that the faculty is more focused on teaching students, and the institute as a large-scale and fundamental structure has more opportunities not only for learning, but also for scientific and research activities.
For the Welding Faculty, the new institute is even more useful in terms of maintaining departments, the teaching staff, since the work of a small faculty in a very difficult external context is associated with great risks.
Serhii Fomichov: The new institute is a definite guarantee of greater stability. A small faculty is always unstable. By law, a faculty must have at least three departments. There are three departments at the WF, that is, we already have a minimum. When the department has less than 5 people, it stops existing. In addition, the number of 1st year students is decreasing. Over the past 8 years, the number of 1st year students has decreased by 5 times, the number of teachers is about 20%. However, there must be a correspondence between the number of students and the number of teachers. Therefore, we had a real risk!
Petro Loboda: We ourselves planned to create an institute on the basis of the IFF, we have enough capacities. Well, that combined with welding. Nevertheless, if they had not joined us, we would have created it ourselves! (Laughs)
When will a new institute work?
In fact, there will be two dates for the launch of the new institute: the beginning of the second semester and the new academic year.
Yurii Yakymenko: An order is being formed to create a new institute. From the new semester there will be a transfer of workers to the institute, but since they remain part of their departments, this is a formal transfer. In addition, the institute will start working in full force already from the new academic year.
How will educational programs change?
Changing educational programs, updating them at the university is ongoing, but it does not depend directly on the reorganization, it is rather a response to external changes, challenges, given the new opportunities.
Yurii Yakymenko: Educational programs determine the content of the educational process, they are accredited, and students study and receive a diploma in educational programs. Educational programs are developed by departments, are constantly updated and must meet the conditions of accreditation. The main requirements are the needs of the labor market, the availability of an appropriate scientific school and personnel, the level of public procurement and competition. The existing educational programs satisfy all these requirements, they will remain in the new institute, and students will continue their studies.
What will happen to the departments?
The actual formation of the new institute will not affect the structure and work of the departments. They will be included in the newly created structure in the form in which they are now, and their further fate will depend on the decision of the departments and the results of accreditation.
Petro Loboda: We are creating an institution to expand the capabilities of each of the participants. Not a single department will suffer; on the contrary, the development of each scientific school is activated and deepened.
Is there a threat of downsizing of workers in connection with the reorganization?
The reorganization does not directly bear risks for the teaching staff or for administrative staff.
Yurii Yakymenko: The interests of none of the employees of these faculties will not be limited. All employees remain in their places – in the departments. The structure of the departments is not changing. Administrative structures are formed in accordance with the number of students. This determines both the number of dean’s employees and the number of deputy deans. In fact, after the formation of the new institute, the number of students in total is unchanged, and accordingly, there will be no changes with the quantitative composition of administrative posts. That is, this association does not lead to direct reductions.
What will happen to the students?
Students will not feel the changes from the reorganization process. Their training will take place as usual, and even the buildings where they study will not change. They also will not have to write separate applications for translation.
Yurii Yakymenko: Students are graduating this year from the faculties where they study. For graduates, nothing will change in diplomas – only a specialist is indicated in the diploma, not a faculty or institute. For those who continue their studies, there will be an order to transfer to the next year of study already at the institute, and not at the faculty.
Who will become the head of the new institute?
According to the legislation, the head of the new institute will be appointed by the rector in agreement with the labor collective.
Yurii Yakymenko: The competition under the law does not provide for the election of the director, it provides for the appointment of the director with the consent of the labor collective. Candidates are proposed to the rector, he submits the candidate for consideration by the labor collective, by secret ballot gives consent or disagreement.
Petro Loboda: Leading such a structure is a very big responsibility. But the question of gardening is far from the main thing. The most important thing is how the new institution will work, what goals we will set for ourselves, how to achieve them.
Serhii Fomichov: When we were negotiating the merger of IFF, ZF and the department of BLTPT and the establishment of the institute, we agreed with Petro Loboda and Igor Krivtsun to work together. Our ambition is to create a new, effective structure and fully realize its potential.