Modern science is able to do a lot. Unfortunately, it is not able to forecast weather for more than 10 days, and it has not invented a cheap way to dispel clouds over the whole city, as yet. Rain made the organizers of Science Festivities change their plans, and move some of the events to a later time.
This year, Science Festivities were opened not near the main building steps, as usual, but in the lobby on the first floor of the University. The hosts highlighted the brightest pages in the 200-year history of Lviv Polytechnic National University. Student choir «Gaudeamus» sang an ode to lecturers, professors and students.
Professor Yuriy Bobalo, University Rector, was the first to speak. He stressed that Lviv Polytechnic is an educational institution which trains experts in almost all specialities that exist in Ukraine nowadays. It goes without saying that Science Festivities, first and foremost, focus on our prospective students, who consciously choose this or that educational institute, study hard to become good experts in their fields and find a good job.
Oksana Yurynets, people’s deputy of Ukraine and Lviv Polytechnic alumnus, greeted the participants and guests of Science Festivities, «Young people are the ones to change our country. That is why I would like to wish you all inspiration, wisdom, action and success in realizing your dreams!».
Professor Tadeusz Wienckowski, former Rector of Wrocław Polytechnic and now professor at this university, our honorary guest, spoke very briefly. He was present at two previous festivals. Our guest said that the history of Lviv and Wrocław Polytechnics has been connected very closely since the post-war years, «Our universities co-operate very closely, and Yuriy Bobalo is my close friend. I wish Lviv Polytechnic prosperity and successful integration into the common European educational scope».
Lyubomyra Mandziy, director of the department of education and science of Lviv regional state administration, was also given the floor. She thanked Lviv Polytechnic for such great promotion of science and education, which has become a real celebration for the whole city and region, for pupils and prospective students, «We made every effort to inform as many schools in Lviv region as possible about this large-scale celebration of science».
Taras Kitsmey, Soft Serve co-founder, emphasized that nowadays we entering the economy of knowledge, where people, their talents are the main company assets, «I represent IT industry. You can see how rapidly our field is developing. Nowadays, in Lviv, there are more than 200 ІТ companies, where more than 20,000 experts work. However, our city has to be famous not only for this field. We are seeking to develop a new strategy «Lviv is a creative city». We would like Lviv to be famous for its physicists, chemists, designers, writers and artists. We would like Lviv to be interesting for guests from other cities of Ukraine and abroad».
Roman Nebesnyy, Head of the Students and PhD Students Scientific Society of the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, spoke on behalf of Lviv Polytechnic young scientists, «It is very pleasant to see children at this festival. A newborn baby is craving to get to know about the world. To me personally, science is a systematized cognition of the world. And pursuing science is a great opportunity to satisfy your own curiosity. I wish you all to be always open to new ideas».
Science Festivities were greeted by a messenger from the ancient times with a torch of knowledge, and also three symbolic muses – Architecture and Construction, Engineering and Mechanics. Lviv Polytechnic began with these three specialities. Now there should be at least 17 such muses, since we have 17 educational institutes now. Yulian Zahariyevych, wise first Rector of Lviv Polytechnic and author of the University main building design, also greeted everyone.
On having inspected the tents of all educational institutes and colleges, where different curiosities from the field of science and technology were presented, University leaders held a press conference with mass media representatives. Professor Yuriy Bobalo, University Rector, Nataliya Chuhray, Vice-Rector for Scientific Research, Oleh Davydchak, Vice-Rector for Graduate Education, Oleksandr Zakhariyash, Director of the Intellectual Educational Centre for Professional and Career Orientation, took part in this interesting conversation. The hosts reminded journalists that Lviv Polytechnic is the leading technical university in Ukraine. Last year, our university received the biggest number of additional places for admitting students whose tuition paid by from the state budget. Nowadays, this educational institution is not only a technical university – it has got a Humanities component. However, 70 per cent belongs to the engineering and science specialities.
As far as professional orientation work is concerned, it begins not from the 11th form, but much earlier – from the primary school or even kindergarten. Yuriy Bobalo remembered an interesting experience of the Institute of Enterprise and Advanced Technologies, which engages pupils from 34 schools in having certain classes according to the University curriculum, so that they will have time adapt to the higher educational institution environment and make sure that they have chosen the right path towards their profession.
Vice-Rector Oleh Davydchak asked journalists to tell prospective students how important it is to use Lviv Polytechnic web resources, which contain a lot of useful information for prospective students, more often.
Despite bad weather, there were a lot of adults and children near every tent. Two years ago, the Institute of Telecommunications, Radioelectronics and Electronic Engineering demonstrated for the first time the work of a 3D-printer, which was making a part of a human arm to a great surprise of all those present. Now other institutes have such smart devices.
The staff of the Department of Electric Drive and Computer-Controlled Electromechanical Systems at the Institute of Power Engineering Control Systems demonstrated to the guests of the festivities the work of a mini-robot. Taras Halyantyy, a fourth-year student «taught» the robot to act according to the joystick commands (it is the topic of his diploma project).
Traditionally there were a lot of people near the tent of the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, where amazing transformations of usual chemical substances were shown.
Researchers and students of the Institute of Engineering Mechanics and Transport continue their developments in the field of creating mobile robotic platforms for exploiting in special conditions, for putting out fires and using them in the zone of military actions in particular.
The lobby of the Student Library, as it was in previous years, was turned into a racing track for car-robots. Here members of the Scientific Society, which is supervised by Vasyl Tataryn, associate professor at the Department of Photonics, showed their knowledge and skills in programming, electronics and mechanics.
Lviv automobile and road college presented an extremely varied exhibition of technology. All samples were made by the members of a Technological Society supervised by lecturer Bohdan Syaryy. They included an electric cart, a renovated military vehicle «Willis» of 1941, a limousine «Chevrolet». One of the college alumni presented to the college a buggy jeep made by himself. By the way, college staff takes active part in repairing vehicles for ATO.
The first academic building hosted an international debate competition. Almost 90 young people from eight countries participated in it. The participants did not know about the topic of the debates in advance. The best speakers and judges proved to be representatives from Lithuania. Ukrainian team came third.
Participants of the chess tournament in simultaneous playing on 14 boards felt calm and cozy. Oleksandr Sulyma and Martyn Kravtsiv, international grand masters, played against everyone else. They won all matches, although there were two candidates for sports masters among their rivals...
Scientific and Technical Library hosted a colourful show. The students of Technological College showed their skills here. Future fashion designers presented several collections of clothes with exotic names like «Motanka doll», «The spirit of ancestors», «Military». Makeup and cosmetics were also done by the college students.
Cossacks kulish was especially popular in such weather. Almost 500 Science Festivities guests tried it. Like in previous years, Vyacheslav Melnyk, production supervisor at V. Chornovil Institute of Ecology, Nature Protection and Tourism, ATO soldier, was the chef.
See you at the next Science Festivities and next scientific discoveries!
