One of the priorities of Lviv Polytechnic National University is an international scientific cooperation, thus here we care about good international relations with universities and scientific institutions of Europe and the world, especially because we live on the border with European countries.
- University scientists have been actively involved in several international cooperation programs for many years - says Professor Natalia Chukhrai, vice-rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University, with whom we are engaged in conversation about modern movements of international scientific cooperation, perspectives and integration into the international environment. - There are more than 100 comprehensive agreements with leading universities and institutions in Europe, America and Asia. I wish that this cooperation has entered the qualitative level, because of various reasons we do not cooperate with all at the same level.
It is meaningful that on 20th of March this year was signed the Agreement between Ukraine and the EU on Ukraine's participation in the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation "Horizon 2020". According to the agreement, Ukraine will participate in the program as an associate member. It entered the 11 leading scientific countries, identified key strategic partners of the EU. The scientific staff of the university, of course, took part in the previous program (FP7) even before the signing of an agreement, but only as partners from third countries. Nowadays, we will possess equal rights and opportunities with institutions of EU member countries, opportunities for research collaboration, joint research and increase the mobility of researchers as equal partners. We can be the beneficiaries or project’s coordinators within a consortium. Now we will not only effectively pursue the fundamental, applied research, but will pursue science in the real economy, embody our scientific results in it because science should serve the people. English-language edition of six Polytechnic institutes is known and appreciated in the world; one of them belongs to scientometric databases. Various publications are in the initial stage.
- How will you provide a tasks’ implementation of the program "Horizon 2020"?
- According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine at the Lviv Polytechnic National University, а "Marie Curie Actions to make grow the skills, training and career" (NCP) national contact point was made in the last year, which disseminates information about the program "Horizon 2020", provides information and support for thematic direction of "Action Maria Sklodowska-Curie" priority "Advanced science". NCP’s work is aimed to promote awareness ( of the scientific community and other stakeholders from EU programs and dynamic participation in the "Horizon 2020"; Information and consultancy services; creating, semantic content and support NCP website, publication of papers (and other information materials).Three workshops were held on NCP base, were created and filled informatively web page NCP, published a newsletter "The actions of Maria Sklodowska-Curie" and it is worked on the preparation of the second edition. It were held also a meeting with representatives of the group JSC "Concern" Electron "(May meet with representatives of successful IT companies), and two measures of national networks NCP.
Concerning the participation of research teams in Lviv Polytechnic Programme for Research (FP7, 'Horizon 2020'), in the competition of the 7th Framework Programme submitted 20 applications, five of which received funding from the EU. This year we are conducting three FP7 projects. 5 submitted project proposals are at the competition program "Horizon 2020"
- Does University participate in other international research projects?
- Of course, we carry out international projects and research study on international grants (NATO, ICDD, CRDF), in the framework of intergovernmental agreements with Austria, China, Lithuania, Germany, on the international agreements commissioned by foreign societies and psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Italy, Moldova, Armenia. Our scientists carry out research and internships abroad within an academic exchange program (Fulbright Program, DAAD, OeAD), individual grants, scholarships (program Gaude Polonia, scholarships named. Lane Kirkland, grants CNRS).
- What kind of plans have you got for the near future?
We would like to create a favorable, elucidative and informational environment in Polytechnic, to publish catalogs and newsletters in different languages to improve the site, to use modern information and communication technologies to promote achievements and research results.
Sore spot is the material base for scientific research. It's great that the European Investment Bank started financing projects for three universities - there is also Lviv Polytechnic in the number of the project participants (we have been working on it for four years). In the first phase, we have conducted energy audits of the buildings, on the second - the purchase of equipment to improve the experimental base of scientific research at the university, including the construction of the research corpus.