On November 24, the Department of Ecology and Life Safety of the National Transport University hosted the All-Ukrainian Online Congress-2021 for Future Ecologists, as a part of which the platform of interaction "Eco-profession of the Future – Future of Eco-professions" was held, organized by the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine and the National Center for Sustainable Development within the framework of the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme funded by the Governments of Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden. In total, about three hundred participants joined the discussion, including students of more than fifty Ukrainian higher education institutions. Interactive inclusion of student studios from Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Dnipro and Kramatorsk was envisaged – Poltava Polytechnic became one of the interactive studios of the Congress.
The plenary session and sessional discussions were moderated by the President of the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine, CEO of Ecobusiness Group, editor-in-chief of the journal "Enterprise Ecology", UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) expert, Liudmyla Tsyhanok, who noted the growing scale of the event and the positive dynamics of active participation in the scientific meeting of students-ecologists of Ukrainian universities. According to the moderator, the growing popularity of the ecology profession in modern society, the establishment of its positive image and competitiveness among graduates in the up-to-date labor market depends on a clear understanding of production needs, its direct or indirect impact on the environment, and the main problem for ecology graduates is the question of employment.
The National University ''Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic'' was represented by scientists of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management of the Educational and Research Institute of Oil and Gas, headed by Vice-Rector for Scientific-Pedagogical and Educational Work, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Bohdan Korobko; Head of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management Olena Stepova; Candidate of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management Yurii Holik; Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management Oksana Illiash; Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management Nataliia Smoliar; Senior Lecturer of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management Yuliia Chukhlib as well as ecology students.
Vice-Rector for Scientific-Pedagogical and Educational Work of Poltava Polytechnic Bohdan Korobko spoke about professional and educational programs, priority areas of practical preparation of specialists in "Ecology" and "Environmental Protection Technologies" specialties, carried out on the basis of the Institute of Oil and Gas of the National University ''Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic''.
''The Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management of the National University ''Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic'' has more than 20 years of history, and among the lecturers there are experienced scientists who have brought up a whole galaxy of graduates who successfully work in leading oil and gas companies, enterprises, state institutions, the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine. Every year our students become winners and prize-winners of the competition of students’ scientific papers in the field of "Ecology", and in 2020, lecturers of the Department of Applied Ecology and Nature Management joined the development of tasks of the All-Ukrainian Student Ecology Olympiad. Practical cases of successful cooperation between Poltava Polytechnic and business, participation in large-scale national and international projects aimed at environmental protection can be safely taken as an example to follow from other leading Ukrainian universities," – said Bohdan Korobko.
PhD, CEO of "Solar Generation", founder of Kharkiv energy cluster Stanislav Ihnatiev together with Deputy Director of the Educational and Research Institute of Oil and Gas of Poltava Polytechnic Andrii Zakrevskyi and Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of the Department of Automation, Electronics and Telecommunications Oleksandr Shefer presented practical cases of the educational experiment to create an innovative platform for the development of "green" energy on the basis of the university. It should be recalled that Poltava Polytechnic will prepare specialists in the field of renewable energy.
"I received a real pleasure from giving a motivational speech to a student audience of more than 50 leading Ukrainian higher education institutions, presented useful cases at the All-Ukrainian Online Congress-2021 for future ecologists – an interaction platform "Eco-professions of the Future – the Future of Eco-professions"! I presented the personnel potential of the world, the EU countries and Ukraine in the field related to ecology – green energy. According to the audience's reaction and the content of the questions, I understand that the mission is accomplished. I am sincerely grateful personally to Liudmyla Tsyhanok, the wonderful team of the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine and the editorial board of the "Enterprise Ecology" edition for organizing a dynamic marathon that will be jealous of most national TV channels!" – commented Stanislav Ihnatiev.
Within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Online Congress-2021 for Future Ecologists, a wide variety of issues and topics from ecologists-practitioners of different spheres of economic activity of the country were considered: "The future of nature management and conservation: Ukraine and the world", "Eco-specialists of new generation and development of applied environmental protection", " Transformation of state policy in the eco-sector and the field of environmental education", "Sustainable Development Strategy: a look into the future", "Management of Professional Development in Environmental Protection and Marketing of Eco-personality", "Involvement in the profession or how a student can start working and earn in the field of ecologization?", "Digital Transformation of Environmental Management".
The participants were inspired and "immersed" in the modern profession of ecologist by UN expert Liudmyla Tsyhanok – President of the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine, CEO Ecobusiness Group, editor-in-chief of "Enterprise Ecology"; Ruslan Strilets – Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources; Oksana Bilous – Assistant to the Head of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance on the Internal Quality Assurance System; Eduard Arustamian – Director of the Department of Nature Reserves and Land Resources of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine; Dmytro Zaruba – First Deputy Head of the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine; UN expert Vladyslav Antipov – Vice-President of PAEU, Director General of CERN; Valentyn Shcherbyna – Vice-President of PAEU; Vaahn Mnatsakanian – Head of the Department of the Environment, Energy Management and Labour Protection Department at Mariupol City Council, Vice-President of PAEU for Community Ecology; Maksym Soroka – PhD on Environmental Safety, Chairman of the PAEU Committee on the Protection of Atmospheric Air; Mariana Hinzula – Doctor of Philosophy, expert on Water Resources Protection, member of the PAEU Water Committee, Deputy Head of Subsection 101 "Ecology" of the Scientific and Methodological Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; expert of NAQA Victoriia Khrutba – Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Ecology and Life Safety of the National Transport University; Vladyslav Varnavskyi – Director of Interpipe Ecology; Olha Semkiv – Chief Ecologist of "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih"; Petro Dryhulych – Ecologist of "Naftogaz of Ukraine"; Yuliia Holovchuk – Ecologist of "Kryvyi Rig Cement"; Oleksandr Chumak – security engineer at NS "Kronospan"; Nataliia Slobodian – Head of DTEK’s Climate Change and Ecology Department; Stanislav Ihnatiev – PhD, CEO of "Solar Generation", founder of Kharkiv energy cluster and Valentyn Frechka – inventor, author of the technology of paper production from fallen leaves.
According to acting Head of the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine Dmytro Zaruba, the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine currently has dozens of vacancies, where specialists in the field of ecology, graduate students and graduates of Ukrainian universities are invited, who are motivated to protect the environment, and who constantly improve their knowledge and skills, as well as are engaged in self-education.
"The specialty "Ecology" will become more relevant over the years, as we are witnessing unprecedented climate change, which requires modern environmental solutions for all spheres of life. Therefore, a conscious choice of higher education in the field of ecology is a smart choice, which in the future will allow one to be a competitive specialist in today's labor market.
In turn, the State Environmental Inspectorate will work to achieve an increase in wages, thus attracting more young professionals who will be able to implement the latest approaches in the work of our Inspectorate. In particular, the adoption of bill No. 3091 "On State Environmental Control" is expected. It will increase the salary of environmental inspectors at least twice," – said the acting Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine Dmytro Zaruba.
"In the 21st century, environmental thinking is a super-professional skill. Not only ecologists-specialists should have it, but everyone, in any activity – from professional to everyday one. Care of the environment is already part of state policy; companies are becoming environmentally responsible. Therefore, in the future, eco-professions will be needed in all spheres of human life – from mining and agriculture to tourism and the fashion industry," – emphasized the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine.
The list of eco-professions of the future includes eco-analysts in narrow areas (pharmacological, agricultural, marine ecologists, eco-analysts in construction, mining, etc., who are responsible for environmental safety in production facilities and facilities belonging to the risk group; predict potential threats and prevent them, reduce the amount of industrial waste), ecology specialists for companies that want to become environmentally responsible, experts in reducing the environmental mark (zero waste managers, architect of energy efficient buildings, environmental logistician, recycling specialist), environmental advocates (eco-producers, environmentalists, curators of conscious ecotourism, etc.), ecosystem restoration specialists (bioremediator, ecosystem restoration architects, veterinarians-rehabilitologists and all specialists who restore soil and flora, help animals affected by environmental disasters, correct the consequences of already caused environmental damage).
The project "All-Ukrainian Online Congress-2021 for Future Ecologists" was launched in 2020 by the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine. It works on the main goals – outlining key environmental problems that will be the focus fors the next 20 years, determining the basic requirements for the preparation of professional ecologists, the level of their knowledge, skills, competencies, including professions related to environmental protection, immersion in modern professional skills and abilities as well as requirements of employers, early professional guidance, popularization and involvement in professions related to eco-management, environmental safety, environmental protection technologies, etc., attracting the potential of talented student youth to projects and programs of eco-transformation of the country, educating the new generation of business youth who knows the basics of nature management, ecosystem conservation, takes care of natural heritage and leads an active lifestyle.
Earlier, stakeholders of the specialty "Ecology" became laureates of the Olena Bairak Regional Prize, and a scientist-ecologist became co-authored the publication on the botanical reserve.
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