Workshop: “Current Research in the Field of Composite Materials”
The seminar “Current Research in the Field of Composite Materials” was held on October 17, 2024, as part of the “Aircraft Engineering Education Renovation” (uCAREER) project.
The aim of the seminar was to engage employers, representatives of relevant higher education institutions, international partners, and the student community in discussing the problems, challenges, and paths for the development of higher education in the field of aircraft engineering, particularly in the area of manufacturing products from composite materials, as well as to summarize the results of the Project’s implementation.
The event took place at the innovative, multifunctional Smart Shelter CLUST Space at the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.” More than 60 participants attended the seminar, including representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine; a representative of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – the I.M. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science; employers – ProgressTech-Ukraine LLC, Chervona Hvilya PJSC, UkrNDIAT JSC, Antonov State Enterprise, and Ivchenko-Progress State Enterprise.
Representing Ukrainian higher education institutions were the administration, faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute,” the State University “Kyiv Aviation Institute,” the M.E. Zhukovsky National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute,” the Donbas State Machine-Building Academy, the Kherson National Technical University, the Kherson State Maritime Academy, and the Sumy State University.
From the U.S. higher education sector—representatives of the University of Arizona and Old Dominion University.
The following speakers delivered welcoming remarks: Mykhailo Bezuglyi, First Vice Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute; Vira Ternovska, Academic Affairs Specialist at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine; Dr. Olesia Zhupanska, Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona and President of the American Society for Composites, USA; Andriy Humennyi, Vice Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work at the M.E. Zhukovsky National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”; Oleksandra Martynenko, Director of the St. Vladimir Charitable Foundation.
During the meeting, presentations were given by representatives of higher education institutions from the U.S. and Ukraine, as well as employers.
Ihor Hryshko, Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, spoke about the results of the uCAREER Project “Renovation of Education in the Field of Aircraft Manufacturing” and the initial implementation of its outcomes in the university’s educational process.
Thus, as part of the project’s objectives, training courses on the design and manufacture of composite materials products were created, complete with the necessary methodological and logistical support. The “Aircraft Construction” certificate program has been improved, and a new “Mechanical Engineering Technologies” certificate program has been developed for first-cycle (bachelor’s) students majoring in Applied Mechanics (Specialty 131) at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute..
These certificate programs were developed in collaboration with employers, align with the priorities of the State Targeted Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of the Aviation Industry for 2021–2030, and are implemented using elements of a dual higher education model. Twenty-three students have already chosen the “Aircraft Construction” and “Mechanical Engineering Technologies” certificate programs to shape their future educational paths.
In addition, the Project’s objectives included the participation of a team of students and graduate students from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in the 2024 Sustainable Composite Design Competition. Thus, during the seminar, attendees had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the “Wind Turbine” project, which was submitted to this competition. As a result of their participation, the team received an honorary award, and the “Wind Turbine” project was recognized as innovative and capable of making a significant contribution to solving problems related to recovery from natural disasters. Team members also received letters of appreciation from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
It is important to note that this event also provided an opportunity to explore possibilities for educational and research collaboration between higher education institutions in Ukraine and the United States, as Dr. Olesia Zhupanska discussed in her presentation. This opens new horizons for the support and development of higher engineering education in Ukraine.
Equally important and interesting were the presentations by scientists and employer representatives on new technologies in the manufacturing and processing of composite materials and their use in civil aviation, which sparked lively discussions.
During the ensuing discussion, the participants highlighted the success and importance of the “Aircraft Engineering Education Renovation” (uCAREER) project, the potential for further cooperation to advance higher education in the field of aircraft engineering, particularly in the areas of design and manufacturing of composite materials, including through participation in joint international educational and research projects. In particular, Oleksandr Kravchenko, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University, USA, proposed the idea of establishing the Ukrainian Composites Network as a platform for developing cooperation among interested stakeholders, higher education institutions, and other organizations.
The “Aircraft Engineering Education Renovation” (uCAREER) project is being implemented under the “Small Grants for Public Diplomacy – EDUCATION for 2023” Program with the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine (the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine).
