Travelling along the scientific paths of Ukraine, we have already visited many cities, but we returned to one for the second time – and this is the city of Sumy, because here is situated one more participant of the AgriSciences platform – Sumy National Agrarian University (SNAU). Although its age is quite young, the university has already managed to become an ornament of the Sumy region and a leading forge of personnel for the agricultural sector of the northern region.
About the presence of the university and the first results from the work of the AgriSciences Platform, we asked Tatiana Khvorost – Ph.D. of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Occupational Safety and Physics from Sumy National Agrarian University.
– What achievements is your university proud of in 2020?
– In 2020, Sumy National Agrarian University has significantly revived its activity in the field of international cooperation and integration into the global educational and research space. To date, we have concluded more than 154 agreements on cooperation with foreign partners from more than 25 countries, including more than 90 agreements with educational and scientific institutions. SNAU’s activities in the international educational space focus on long-term programs and projects aimed at improving the quality of educational and scientific activities to the level of world standards. Leading foreign partners of SNAU include Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (Germany), Bern University of Applied Sciences: School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL (Switzerland), Warsaw University of Natural Sciences (Poland), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Czech Republic), Henan University of Science and Technology (China), and numerous international organizations that implement internship programs at the best companies in the world. A lot also thanks to the AgriSciences Platform.
– What distinguishes your university from other educational institutions?
– Close cooperation with business! Both the top management of the university and teachers directly cooperate with businesses. The University cooperates with agricultural producers, manufacturers and dealers of machinery and equipment, with processing enterprises and exporters of agricultural products. All this allows us to train professionals in accordance with the needs of agribusiness and instantly adjust training programs in accordance with market conditions and challenges both in our country and in the world as a whole.
– What do you think about the AgriSciences (AgriSci UA) platform for the scientific improvement of higher educational institutions in Ukraine?
– This is a very powerful tool that allows you to analyze the achievements of colleagues, look for partners to implement their own and joint projects. During a pandemic, when there is no opportunity to participate in scientific conferences, it is an opportunity for scientists to create new communications as well as create joint projects and joint publications. Thanks to AgriSciences Platform, there have been already couple of scientific papers prepared and even published!
– Modern science and its popularization among young people: the role of AgriSciences UA in this case? In your opinion, what are the ways to interest a modern student?
– The role of the AgriSci UA platform in popularizing modern science among young people is to provide relevant and interesting information for them, such as: participation in international exchange programs and grants, participation in workshops, seminars, etc. To increase students’ interest or to work on their doctoral degrees, as well as we can also tell success stories, and demonstrate successful projects implemented by the postgraduates and students.
– What are your thoughts on the development of cooperation in the research field?
– The development of IT technologies greatly facilitates the implementation of the researcher’s own ideas: from modeling to the implementation of the project model. In this case, the AgriSciences Platform allows you to expand communications and search for partners and like-minded people. Today, a researcher does not need to search for someone using the personal connections of colleagues and acquaintances, process an endless network resource to search for publications, enough just go to the AgriSciences Platform and get comprehensive information in one place. In my opinion, it is necessary to take the initiative to involve the AgriSciences Platform in the implementation of educational programs at the Ph.D. level to increase the level of communication of applicants and introduce the uniqueness of educational components of training programs.
– What do you expect from the AgriSciences Platform in the future?
– In the future, I would like to see a mobile application of this platform, which will ensure its use at any time and in any place. It would also be interesting to see expanded profiles of scientists who are willing to collaborate with specific topics and links to research materials. And it would be very useful for scientists to create a tab on which they could present ideas that would be attached to it, and at the same time, it would be information for finding like-minded people and implementing their joint projects.
It’s really nice to see so many suggestions for improvement! This once again confirms the relevance and interest of the platform participants and encourages further development, because the right investment always allows you to increase what you have.
In particular, among the inhabitants of Sumy, there is a legend about the origin of the name of the city, which tells about the cossacks who found three bags of gold coins on the river bank. And it was on this place that the city was founded, which was named Sumy, in honor of those bags of gold (in Ukrainian, the word “bag” sounds like “sumka”). Be that as it may, but the legend has taken root and since 1781 three bags adorn the coat of arms of the city. Here it is – the right investment!
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