About 200 business representatives, scientists and educators took part in the conference, including executives of Metinvest Group and its enterprises, and scientists from Australia and Ukraine. The local scientific and educational communities were represented by people from leading technical universities and institutes in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv and other cities in Ukraine, as well as Metinvest Polytechnic students. The number of speakers from all over the country aroused keen interest in the event.
The conference’s main goal is to contribute to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, incorporating science as an integral element of the future. Metinvest Polytechnic’s current students will eventually be tasked with helping to reconstruct both Ukraine and domestic industries.
“One of our objectives was to assess the situation in the field of education, and to lay the foundation for science and research to restore the country. Hosting the conference demonstrates our openness and student involvement in the university’s work. Going forward, we plan to develop this area further. We intend to attract postgraduate students to our conferences, who will also have the opportunity to study at Metinvest Polytechnic,” said Oleksandr Povazhniy, rector of Metinvest Polytechnic.
The conference also hosted discussions of how to achieve a green transition in the Ukrainian metal sector, new technologies for the direct reduction of iron and industry perspectives, including on green steelmaking and modern eco-friendly practices. The educational block was devoted to the challenges and prospects for transforming how engineering, steelmaking and science are taught at a modern university, and implementing innovative formats for teaching engineering. The technical panel considered intelligent control systems, robotic and mechatronic solutions, software and information support for computerised business process management systems.
“I want to appeal to every student, faculty member and conference participant. You are our hope. Not only the hope of the industry to create a new standard for the metals and mining industry – a green transition that will unite Ukrainian and European production facilities – but also the hope of all Ukraine. You are the ones who will have to apply your potential and knowledge, including what you have learned at this conference, to restore our country and its various sectors after the war. Therefore, I would like to thank everyone for participating in Metinvest Polytechnic’s first international conference. I hope that the discussions sparked by the talks at this event inspire you to create something new and unique”, noted Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest Group.
Metinvest Polytechnic is the university of the future, offering broad new opportunities for young people. Metinvest Group established the university in June 2020 and the first students were enrolled in 2022. The project’s key goal is to create European-level higher education in Ukraine. The people studying at the university have chosen technical professions that are in demand in the labour market. Metinvest Group guarantees a first job for the best students, in addition to financial and other incentives. More than 690 students are currently studying at Metinvest Polytechnic.