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From 19 to 28 March 2013, a Ph.D. Spring Course
"Innovation for Sustainable Development" jointly developed by scientists
and academics from the Institute of Hydromechanics of National Academy of
Sciences, National Technical University of Ukraine "KPI", Royal Institute
of Technology - KTH (Stockholm, Sweden) and Delft University of Technology
(The Netherlands) was held in Kyiv. The course was supervised by a
Corresponding Member of NAS of Ukraine Prof. Eugene Nikiforovich (Institute of
Hydromechanics of NAS of Ukraine), Head of Research Unit of
Technology Dynamics and Sustainable Development
at TU Delft, Professor Karel Mulder and Director of Energy
Platform at KTH, Dr. Olga Kordas. The training was attended by 30 graduate students
representing the leading technical universities from Ukraine, Georgia,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova.
A complete program of the course may be found here:
[PDF]
The students were taught a number of lectures aimed at better acquaintance with
a concept of Sustainable Development, as well as social, economic and
environmental challenges to mankind stimulating the search for ways of moving
progress towards this model. The focus was also placed to
modern techniques used in European countries to create the
strategic scenarios of Sustainable Development. Primarily, these include, as follows:
- Participatory Backcasting (PB);
- analysis of Functions of Innovation System (FIS analysis);
- Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA).
Another important form of education was the collective work of six
groups on preparation of presentations, reports dedicated to on these
basic research tools for future socio-technological transformations.
Such an analysis was made on the basis of processing of actual information
about the current status, needs and trends in specific sectors and niches
of Ukrainian society. For doing so, we have invited the leading experts in the
fields of energy, medicine, education and business, representatives of local
authorities to take part in the seminars. In addition, to survey the
reports under creation, they gave a number of thematic interviews to working groups.
To promote the latest achievements of Ukrainian science implemented in true
projects, on March 26, course participants attended the ERAIHM Final
Conference. On March 27, an excursion to the Institute of Hydromechanics
NASU was carried out. In its course, a unique experimental equipment of the
institute was demonstrated. In particular, the course participants saw a
Joint Swedish-Ukrainian Educational and Research Laboratory for studying of
heat pumps, Big Experimental Hydrodynamic Tank, Wind Tunnel for studying of the
thermal boundary layer control, computer means for recording and analysis
of respiratory sounds intended to improving of reliability of diagnosing
of pulmonary diseases.
On the last day of training, the prepared analytical presentations were
publicly presented by groups and assessed by teaching staff of the course.
All students were awarded with international certificates of qualification. It is
agreed that after receiving of written reports of the groups, the best work can be
recommended for publication in one of recognized European scientific journals.
We should also thank the team of graduate students from NTUU "KPI" for excellent
organization of all educational, residential and cultural activities.
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ERAIHM
