Recently, the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute welcomed a distinguished guest — Kiril Petkov, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as a politician, economist and entrepreneur.
The meeting was devoted to strengthening cooperation between this university and Bulgarian partners in the areas of education, science and industry. After all, universities such as Kyiv Polytechnic shape the engineering elite of tomorrow, become hubs of innovation, and play a key role in the country’s economic recovery.
Among principal areas of cooperation under discussion were the joint organisation of engineering education and research programmes, and enhanced interaction with industry.
Special attention was paid to the concept of developing a cluster, which would bring together Ukrainian universities and international companies. Such initiatives could serve as an efficient mechanism for integrating Ukrainian technological solutions into the European Research Area, while technical universities, particularly Kyiv Polytechnic, may act as the nucleus of such clusters’ development.
The Bulgarian delegation also shared its experience in establishing educational centres and collaborating with world’s leading universities, such as Harvard. This dialogue offers ample opportunities for new partnerships, the advancement of engineering education, and the scaling up of Ukrainian innovations in science and technology on the international level.
Sincere words of gratitude were expressed to the Republic of Bulgaria for its staunch support of Ukraine from the very first days of the full-scale invasion, and for the consistent assistance the country continues to receive today. Such solidarity is of fundamental importance not only for Ukraine, but also for the stability of the entire European region.
In this context, political significance was attached to deepening cooperation in the Black Sea region. Security, technological development, and the resilience of Black Sea infrastructure pose a shared challenge and, at the same time, afford a widely shared opportunity for Ukraine, Bulgaria and their partners across Europe and within NATO.