Science
Eminent names and scientific schools
In the twentieth century, a number of renowned scientific schools were
established in Ukraine dealing
with problems of geochemistry and the natural sciences (V. Vernadsky),
mechanics (S. Tymoshenko),
oriental studies (A. Krymsky), microbiology (D. Zabolotny), biology (O. Bohomolets),
chemistry (L. Pysarzhevsky), electrical welding and bridge-building (Ye. Paton),
physics (M. Boholiubov), cybernetics (V. Hlushkov), space engineering (M. Yanhel),
etc. Ukrainian scientists and scholars can boast major achievements, such as
the artificial nuclear reaction to split the lithium nucleus; production of
heavy water; a procedure for automatically welding lank bodies; the Europe's first computer; new areas
pioneered in metallurgy: electric metallurgy with electroslag, plasma-arc, and
plasma electron-beam remelting, development of unique rockets and spacecraft,
etc.
Ukraine’s scientific potential
Science is a major factor allowing Ukraine to be ranked among the world's advanced countries in the
twenty-first century. By the beginning of the year 2000, Ukraine's scientific potential of Ukraine comprised 1,506 scientific
institutions and organizations. Of these, 289 were in the academic sector, 160
were institutions of higher learning, while 964 belonged to the industry, and
93 to the factory sector. 126,000 persons are directly engaged in research and
engineering activities. These include 4,132 doctors and over 20,000 candidates
of sciences. Six state academies are leaders in Ukrainian science: the National
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Science, Academy of Medical Science,
Academy of Jurisprudence, the Academy of Pedagogical
Sciences, and the Academy of Arts. The
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is responsible for the
governmental management of scientific and scholarly activities.
Regulations for foreign visitors at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The coming future
Ukraine is proud to comply with world
scientific standards in mathematics, mechanics, physics, computer science,
materials science, and a number of other trends directly related to the
manufacture of the high tech science-intensive products increasingly demanded
by foreign scientific institutions and industrial firms. For instance, a unique
pilot plant has been built, which simulates the effect of outer space on
spacecraft. Germany and China have purchased this plant and the
European Space Agency is using it for research purposes. Together with Pratt
and Whitney, a US aerospace
firm, the Institute of Electrical Welding is developing a
procedure for producing new materials using the technique of high-speed
electron-beam evaporation and condensation of matter in a vacuum. The Institute
of Monocrystals, a research and technical concern, supplies scintillation
crystals as well as sapphire implants and tools to research centres in the US,
Japan and Switzerland for neurosurgical and ophthalmological applications.
Researchers at the Institute for Cryobiology and Cryomcdicine have arranged
production of competitive biological preparations on request by many foreign
firms.
During the years of independence, a basic advance has been made by Ukraine in the social sciences and
humanities. This contributed much to the nation's rethinking of its
centuries-long path in the historical and cultural development and today's
position of Ukraine in the
context of the international and European civilizing process. This is the
fifteenth year that the Ukrainian scholars have been involved in studying the
scientific, technological, economic, medical, and social aspects with the goal
of mitigating the consequences of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster,
turning the devastated Unit 4 into an ecologically sound system, and
establishing an international test field within the affected area for
investigating the impact of radiation on the environment.
Ukrainian science is making successful efforts to be integrated into the
international scientific community. Each year dozens of monographs by Ukrainian
scholars are published abroad. Many Ukrainian scientific journals are
translated into foreign languages. Under the aegis of UNESCO, an international
research and educational centre for information technologies and systems as
well as international chairs of cryobiology and physiology have been set up in Ukraine. Established in 1993, the
International Association of Academies of Sciences is playing an important role
to stimulate integration processes among Academies of Sciences of CIS
countries. The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine headed by Academician Borys Paton, its world-renowned President,
remains the stronghold of these research institutions.
Ukrainian space industry
Young independent Ukraine confidently became one of the world space states owing to its space
research and production potential.
In February 1992, National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) was
established to implement state space activities policy. Its control sphere
includes about 30 production enterprises, research organizations and design
offices. The enterprises of space industry gain great experience in development
and production of modern launch vehicles, spacecraft, engines, control and
telemeter system. New materials and technologies are being phased in, and some
of them have no counterparts. Space goods and services export increased from
year to year.
Currently, space industry restructuring is being prepared and
implemented to assure further development of enterprises in market environment.
The restructuring provides forming of favorable business and investment
climate, advance in rates of science intensive production output, development
of new competitive technics, increase the quality and efficiency of production.
It is planned to corporatize and incorporate state-owned companies,
possibilities for establishment of international investment fund are also
considered.
So, Ukrainian space industry enters into new millenium introducing
market innovation system, which is favorable for improving investment climate
and attracting investors to mutual beneficial cooperation within joint
commercial projects.
