The First National Forum of Talented Youth, held in the capital in late January, brought together more than 400 participants - winners of international and national school competitions, young scientists, students, and activists. As part of the event, young scientists were awarded Presidential Prizes for their scientific achievements. Olha Vovk, a professor at the Department of Economic Cybernetics at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, also received the award. She shared her impressions of this solemn event.
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About the participants. The forum was attended by state leaders, public figures, and well-known personalities to congratulate the awardees and recognize their contribution to the future of Ukraine. In his speech, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the value of education and science in the restoration of Ukraine and stressed the priorities of intellectual potential, promotion of Ukrainian culture and statehood in the world: “I am grateful that you are in Ukraine, developing here. This is the essence of what Ukraine is fighting for! Your energy, your achievements are what allows Ukraine to move forward even in the most difficult conditions.”
With faith in the future. Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi expressed his belief that investment in education, particularly higher education, will make Ukraine competitive in the world: “Ukraine is a country of opportunities, a country that is being built today on a completely new basis, passing incredible challenges and winning these challenges.” Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidnyi emphasized that such events allow young people not only to be recognized for their achievements, but also to find new opportunities for development: “We are not only supporting you today, we are building the future of the country together. Your successes in science, sports, and technology are the best proof that anything can be achieved in Ukraine if you have the will and support.” Vadym Gutzeit, President of the National Olympic Committee, emphasized that not only talent but also hard work and self-belief are important to achieve victories: “Thank you for being in Ukraine, for believing in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. I am sure that after the victory, it will be your time to act and build a new Ukraine.”
They inspired and motivated. Yevhen Nyshchuk, General Director and Artistic Director of the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater; Natalia Kryvda, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation; Olympic champion and fencer Olha Harlan; Yevhen Dykyi, Head of the National Antarctic Research Center; Oleksandr Alfiorov, historian and captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and Dmytro Komarov, TV presenter, also joined the event and spoke. Marina Vyazovskaya, Fields Medal winner, Scott Kelly, NASA astronaut, and Paul Nurse, Nobel Prize winner, greeted the gathering online.
About the laureate. Olha Vovk is a Doctor of Economics, Professor, Deputy Head of the Department of Economic Cybernetics for Research. She has been working at the university not so long ago - since 2023, but her cooperation with Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute scientists has been going on for many years. “For many years I have been involved in the formation of the country's scientific potential within the walls of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute,” says Olha Mykolayivna. ”Back in 2010, the Head of the Department of Economics and Entrepreneurship Petro Krush became the opponent of my PhD thesis, who, despite the young age of the applicant (I was 23 at the time), supported and guided my research initiatives. Later, the Head of the Department of Economics and Entrepreneurship Svitlana Tulchynska became a scientific consultant and inspiration for my doctoral research.”
Achievements. According to Olha Vovk, she also defended her doctoral dissertation on “Imperatives of Modernization of Infrastructure Enterprises in the Context of Modern Trends in Innovative Economic Development” at a relatively early age of 35. To date, the professor's scientific achievements include 9 monographs (including one single book), more than 175 scientific publications and 14 textbooks. Her research paper, which was awarded the President of Ukraine Prize, focused on the strategy for rebuilding Ukraine's infrastructure. “The study reveals the conceptual provisions of the innovation and cognitive paradigm of modernizing economic systems, forming a system of strategic vectors for realizing potential, and applying innovative technologies to rebuild the infrastructure sector,” the author says.
She also said that, on the recommendation of the Borys Paton National Prize Committee, up to forty Presidential Prizes for Young Scientists are awarded annually. In 2024, 39 scientific papers were submitted, and after public discussion, review and consideration by specialized sections, 31 Prizes were awarded to 59 young scientists.
It should be added that O. Vovk's teaching activities are related to the provision of educational programs in economics. Currently, as a potential guarantor, the scientist is preparing a new interdisciplinary program in digital economy and management, has 5 textbooks published in the KPI library, and is the author of three unique educational components: “Economics of Project and Analytical Activity”, ‘Macro- and Microeconomic Analysis’, and ‘Spatial Economy’. The professor speaks with gratitude about the scientific community at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute: here she received prospects for the realization of her research, with the support of the team she not only won the President of Ukraine Award but also received a scholarship from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for young scientists, and in 2024 published a monograph “Economic Security in Restoring Ukraine's Competitiveness.”
A new generation is being formed. “The values of the educational and scientific space, preservation of intellectual potential in the face of modern challenges should remain a priority of the long-term vision of Ukrainian statehood,” the laureate reflects, ”Education is the undisputed basis for scientific research, innovation, and technologies for strategizing the reconstruction and development of Ukraine. At the Forum, I was delighted to see the inspiration and first successes of young researchers, and especially that government institutions recognize the value of young people. This is how new generations are formed for the war-hardened Ukrainian nation!” At the end of the conversation, the scientist once again emphasized that she is grateful to the staff of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute for preserving educational and scientific values and supporting research initiatives.
By the way, at the end of February it became known that Professor Olga Vovk of the FMM was awarded the M.I. Tugan-Baranovsky Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for her work “Economic Security in the Restoration of Ukraine's Competitiveness”. Congratulations!