Kyiv Polytechnic Institute

The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (abbr. KPI, Ukrainian: Київський політехнічний інститут, КПІ; official full title National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"^[3]) is a national public technological university in Kyiv, Ukraine.

National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"

Національний технічний університет України «Київський політехнічний інститут імені Ігоря Сікорського», НТУУ "КПІ"
Seal of the NTUU KPI
Type	National, research university
Established	1898; 127 years ago (1898)
Rector	Anatolii Melnychenko[1]
Administrative staff	2,500
Students	25,000 (approximately)[2]
Location	Kyiv , Ukraine
Campus	395 acres (1.60 km2)
Colors	Dark blue
Website	kpi.ua
Immovable Monument of National Significance of Ukraine
Official name	Комплекс споруд Національного політехнічного університету "Київський політехнічний інститут" (Complex of buildings of the National Polytechnic University "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute")
Type	History
Reference no.	260038-Н

Name

In the long period of existence, the name of the institute has changed several times:

• 1898–1918 Kiev Polytechnic Institute of Emperor Alexander II
• 1918–1934 Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
• 1934–1948 Kyiv Industrial Institute
• 1948–1968 Order of Lenin Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
• 1968–1992 Order of Lenin Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in memory of the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution
• 1992–1995 Kyiv Polytechnic Institute
• 1995–2016 National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"^[4]
• 2016– National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"^[5][6]

History

An early-20th century postcard with the photo of the institute's main building

Establishment

The institute was founded as the Kiev Polytechnic Institute of Emperor Alexander II on 31 August 1898. Its establishment was the result of partnership between the state and private sector encouraged by Sergei Witte, who served as finance minister of the Russian Empire at that time. The financing for the institution was provided by Kyiv City Duma and private donors, including the Tereshchenko family and Lazar Brodsky. The construction of the current building complex was finished in 1902. Until then, the institute was renting out its space at the building of Commercial School located on Vorovsky Street.^{[citation needed]} At that time, it had four departments: Mechanical, Chemical, Agricultural, and Civil Engineering. The first enrolment constituted of 360 students. Prominent scientists Dmitri Mendeleev, Nikolai Zhukovsky and Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev provided substantial scientific and organizational assistance in the founding of the institute.^[2]

Viktor Kyrpychov, the founder of the was the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, became the first rector of the KPI. It was largely due to Kyrpychov's efforts that such professors like V.P. Yermakov, S.M. Reformatsky, M.I. Konovalov or Vladimir Zworykin became members of the first faculty. The institute's scientific library was organized by Ukrainian art historian Mykola Biliashivskyi. The institute's director at that time was appointed directly by the imperial government after nomination by the Ministry of Finance.^[2]

Development under the Tsarist rule

See also: Shuliavka Republic

Between its establishment and 1913 the number of students in the institute grew from 360 to 2,313. The full course of studies lasted 4 years. In reality graduation usually took a longer time, and the median age of the university's alumni was 27–28 years. The social origin of KPI's students were much more diverse than in other higher schools of that time: between 1897 and 1913 the share of nobles studying in the establishment fell from 47,7 to 36,2%, meanwhile that of peasants' children grew from 5,9 to 16,3%. The share of Jews among KPI's students in 1907 stood at 23%, contravenin the established quotas.^[2] The institute was involved in the 1899 All-Russian student strike, which resulted in arrest and exile of 32 students. In the beginning of 1899, the underground organizational committee was established and had a close relationship with the Kyiv Council of United Communities and Organizations. During the Revolution of 1905 the institute served as a major centre of revolutionary movement in Kyiv, with its students being affiliated with radical groups. A "Ukrainian commune", which consisted of 150-200 students of the establishment, co-operated with Ukrainian social-democratic and socialist revolutionary parties.

In 1909 the Kyiv Society of Aerial Navigation was founded at the institute, involving such prominent figures as Igor Sikorsky, Fedir Anders [uk] and Nikolai Delaunay (father of Boris Delaunay). Another KPI graduate Fedir Tereshchenko became known as a pioneer of airplane construction. Among prominent figures who taught at the institute during that time were Grigory Dubelir, Yevhen Paton, Stephen Timoshenko, Lev Pisarzhevsky and Mykola Pymonenko. During the First World War in 1915 part KPI was temporarily evacuated to Rostov on Don, and a field hospital was created on the institute's premises.^[2]

Revolution of 1917 and Interwar era

During the Ukrainian struggle for independence in 1917-1920 the institute continued to function, and many of its graduates worked in the agencies of the Central Rada. Under the Hetmanate the faculty of chemical engineering was opened in November 1918. Under the Directory of Ukraine KPI was temporarily closed down, allegedly due to its Russian-language curriculum. After the Bolshevik takeover it was subordinated to the people's commissariat for education. By 1920 the enrollment had grown to 6,441 students, although the majority of students didn't attend classes, meanwhile the course of studies was shortened to 3 years. Under Soviet rule children of workers and peasants were prioritized in the admission process. In 1923-1933 a number of specialized institutes were organized from KPI departments, which later became separate educational establishments, among them Dnipropetrovsk Institute of Railway Transport, Odesa Institute of Marine Engineers, Kyiv Construction Institute, Kyiv Aviation Institute and others.

Under the Soviet regime so-called "work practice", where students had to work in industrial enterprises during summer months, became mandatory. Between 1925 and 1940 the enrollment increased from 1,983 to 3,685, with female students comprising around 20%. By 1930 workers' children were the largest group of students (44%) followed by civil servants and intelligentsia (35%) and peasants (18%). By mid-1930s the first number had risen to almost 70%. The share of students who received scholarships grew from 45% in 1928 to more than 80% in late 1930s. Famous KPI students of that period included Sergei Korolev, Arkhip Lyulka and Borys Paton. In 1927 a students' newspaper was founded in the institute, initially published by Ivan Le. Between 1934 and 1944 KPI was known as Kyiv Industrial Institute and united several educational enterprises created in 1930 on the basis of former faculties. During the Stalinist terror a number of the institute's employees were persecuted, among them mathematician Mykhailo Kravchuk, agricultural scientist Volodymyr Symyrenko and philologist Hryhory Kostiuk.^[2]

WW2 and post-war decades

During the Second World War the institute was evacuated to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Parts of its academic staff workers were employed in the Soviet military industry in the Urals. Many students, graduates and faculty members served in the Red Army, but some stayed in Kyiv under German occupation, among them architect Oleksandr Verbytsky, with sme of them being employed in military-related research by German authorities. Several faculty members left Kyiv with the retreat of German troops. More than half of the institute's facilities, including the library, were destroyed during the Battle of Kyiv in 1943.^[2]

The deoccupation of Kyiv in November 1943 made it possible to restore the work of the institute: the registration of teachers, employees, students who returned to the institute began. Already in the second half of January 1944, an administrative commission for a set of students on the first course and renewal of senior students has begun. All efforts of the institute's team were aimed at the restoration of the teaching base, because as a result of the Nazi occupation and brutal battles for Kyiv, more than half of the total area of educational premises was destroyed, hostels burned, looted property. Thanks to the inclusion of the institute to the list of the most important industrial and transport universities of the country, students of all courses were exempted from the prize to the Soviet Army, they were provided with an increased scholarship (first of all, it concerned students who captured specialties from foundry, forging, press and chemical production).^{[citation needed]} Due to construction delays in the summer of 1945, students and teachers worked voluntarily performing urgent construction tasks during vacations. Some of the equipment used in te reconstruction was sent from Germany as part of war reparations.^[2]

In April 1946, a student scientific and technical society was formed in the institute. At the time of its creation, it had nine sections that combined 30 specialized groups with about 500 students, which were managed by leading scientists of the institute.^{[citation needed]} In postwar years the enrollment in the institute, now known under its original name KPI, increased dramatically from 1,755 students in 1944 to 4,500 in 1951. A number of new faculties were created during that period, and several other faculties were merged. Many professors concluded cooperation agreements with individual industrial enterprises. In 1953 a correspondence faculty was opened in the institute. By the end of the decade part-time students accounted for 42% of the total number.^[2]

During the 1960s and 1970s KPI was the largest institution of higher education in Soviet Ukraine, numbering 30,600 students in 1968. The institute's branches were opened in Chernihiv and Vinnytsia, and two of its faculties operated in Zhytomyr and Konotop. New specializations were introduced and several new faculties were created, among others in the branch of automated control systems (1972). In 1985 the enrollment exceeded 31,000. In that year KPI had 73 computing classrooms with 2,799 computers. Around 4,000 students were offered paid internship jobs in Kyiv's most technologically advanced enterprises. At the same time, the institute suffered from increased ideological pressure from the Communist Party and introduction of unrealistic curricula.^[2]

Independent Ukraine

In the response to the demands of market economy and post-industrial society following the transition from Communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s a number of new specializations were introduced and new faculties were opened, including management and marketing (1992), linguistics (1995), sociology and law (1996), biotechnology (2001) and biomedical engineering (2002). In 1995 KPI was reorganized into a university and granted a national status. In 2007 it also attained the status of research university, and in 2010 became an autonomous research university. In 2016 the university was named after its famous graduate Igor Sikorsky. In our days KPI consists of 11 scientific research institutes and 16 faculties, as well as a branch in Slavutych. It also operates two lyceums and a museum. The university's library contains over 2,5 million volumes. The enrollment is approximately 25,000 students. KPI is consistently ranked as one of the leading educational establishment in Ukraine, taking 2nd position out of more than 240 in the 2021 Consolidated Ranking of all Ukrainian institutions of higher learning. In the 2021 QS World University Rankings it was placed 701st, behind only one other Ukrainian establishment, Kyiv National University. The university publishes a newspaper and more than two dozen scientific journals.^[2]

Related establishments

Actively developing, the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute became the basis for expanding and strengthening the network of higher education in Kyiv. In 1923–1933, and in recent years, several institutions, universities, academies were created on the basis of departments and individual specialties of the KPI. On the other hand, the famous educational institutions of Ukraine entered the current composition of the university. Thus in the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization of NTUU "KPI" by the official date of the creation is considered March 1, 1919 – the Day of Approval of the Rev-wake of the Republic of the Republic of Projects of Engineering Courses for the preparation of the team of the Worker-Peasant Red Army, which in 1937 became the basis for the Kyiv military school of ZV The tap them. M. I. Kalinina. Publishing-Polygraphic Institute Since September 6, 2004, which included in the KPI in 1989, was founded on January 1, 1954, in Kyiv on the basis of the artistic-craft school of printers No 18, as an educational and consultative point (UCP) of the Moscow printing institute.

Kyiv Polytechnic Institute during Russo-Ukrainian war

In 2022, during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute faced new challenges arising from the conflict.

Defense support and charity

KPI expressed active support for the defense of the country. The university created a charity fund to purchase military equipment at the request of students and graduates who joined the Armed Forces.^[7]

Collaboration with the University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield began cooperation with KPI, which provides a wide range of practical assistance.^[8] The partnership will see the University of Sheffield donates £20,000 to build a bomb shelter on the KPI campus. It will also provide laboratory equipment and open access to its library resources, enabling KPI staff and students to access various online journals, texts, and resources.

Transfer of information systems to the cloud

One of the crucial steps KPI took was moving its critical digital infrastructure to cloud storage. This made it possible to ensure the university's functioning virtually, mainly to conduct training in remote mode and to ensure the management and storage of large volumes of data. The initiator of this process was Andrii Hubskyi, a KPI graduate who asked his partners to assist in matters of communication with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.^[9] Thanks to his efforts, cooperation with Amazon was established, and the process of migration of critical digital infrastructure to the cloud environment was implemented.

Points of invincibility

There are several security points on the university campus. One of them is in the first building. Employees of the Department of Property and Social Affairs created it. The room has laptops, high-speed Starlink Internet, light, and printing equipment. The item is located in the 157th office. In total, at least five such points operate on the territory of KPI.^[10]

Shelters

KPI presented the project of the innovative bomb shelter CLUST SPACE, which is being created in the central library. The bomb shelter will be located in a basement with an area of 600 square meters. The design project of the multifunctional shelter was developed by the studio of architect Pavlo Peker, who has experience working with similar projects in Iraq and Libya.^[11]

Organisation

The Kyiv Polytechnic's main building

Building of old dining hall (part of the original building complex)

Institutes

• Educational, Science, and Scientific Complex "Institute of Applied Systems Analysis" (ESC IASA);^[12]
• Educational and Research Institute of Telecommunication Systems (ITS);
• Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management (IEE);
• Institute of Aerospace Technologies (IAT);
• Institute of Special Communication and Information Security (ISIS);^[13]
• Mechanics and Machine-Building Institute (MMI);
• Institute of Materials Science and Welding (IMZ);^[14]
• Publishing and Printing Institute (VPI)
• Physics and Engineering Institute (PTI);
• Inter-branch Institute of Post-graduate Education;
• Institute of Pre-admission education and Vocational Guidance.

Faculties

Aerial view of KPI's campus

• Applied Mathematics (FPM);^[15][16]
• Biomedical Engineering (FBE);^[17][18]
• Biotechnology and Biotechnics (FBT);^[19][20]
• Chemical Engineering (IHF);^[21]
• Chemical Technology (XTF);^[22][23]
• Electric Power Engineering and Automatics (FEA);^[24][25]
• Electronics (FEL);^[26][27]
• Heat and Power Engineering (TEF);^[28][29]
• Informatics and Computer Engineering (FIOT);^[30][31]
• Instrumentation Engineering (PBF);^[32][33]
• Linguistics (FL);^[34][35]
• Management and Marketing (FMM);^[36][37]
• Physics and Mathematics (FMF);^[38][39]
• Radio Engineering (RTF);^[40][41]
• Sociology and Law (FSP).^[42][43]

Facilities

The university has two campuses, the central one being located in Kyiv, and the other in town of Slavutych.

The Kyiv campus of the university is located near the city centre in a park named after the university.

Almost 9,000 students from outside Kyiv are accommodated in 21 dormitories, 3 of them for married students. The living conditions at the dormitories is a matter of numerous complaints of their inhabitants, with four people sharing a single room measuring 18 square-meters.

The institute has an outpatient medical department for employers and students.

KPI – Technical Library

Monument to chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, who was the first chairman of the examination committee

Monument to Mykhailo Kravchuk at KPI

Monument to Paton

Building 18, information technology and computing devices

Monument to Soviet soldiers that perished in World War II

KPI park

KPI dormitory building 1

The institute also considers organized leisure a very important factor in bringing up young specialists.

The Knowledge Square is the centre of the entire KPI complex, measuring approx. 105 x 100 meters. The Knowledge Square is connected to one of the city's main thoroughfare, Prospect Peremohy (Victory Avenue). Meetings, festivals, and graduation ceremonies take place at the square.

The university also has an assembly hall with 1,750 seats. It was opened in August 1984.

Various sport facilities also exist at the institute. There are training grounds, soccer fields, volleyball and basketball courts for student use. There are many nationally rated athletes among the students of this institute.

Some Institutes were organized on the KPI basis. Among them are: the Civil Engineering Institute, Technological Institute of Light and Food Industry, the Institute of Civil Aviation, Automobile and Road Building Institute, Agricultural (now Agricultural Academy) and others. In 1934–1944 the KPI was called an Industrial Institute.

Other labs and organisations

• Scientific Society of Students and Post-graduates
• Scientific-industrial laboratory DIDAKTIK
• UNESCO Chair in Higher Technical Education, Applied System Analysis and Informatics
• State Polytechnic Museum
• University Interclub
• University Library

Summer school

The Summer school Achievements and Applications of Contemporary Informatics, Mathematics and Physics (Summer School AACIMP) is an annual international scientific-educational project of volunteers from the university's Student Science Association.^[44] It is aimed at an international audience of advanced students, postgraduates and young scientists. There are usually about 100 participants.^[45]

It has been traditionally held each August since 2006. As a rule, the duration of the project is two weeks.

Community

Student life

At present the number of students at KPI is more than 36,000. Approximately 400 of them are international students. In this way students, especially those who live in a hostel, have a social life with their foreign fellow students and a chance to learn more about other cultures, people and ideas. Over 4,500 students graduate from KPI every year. The diploma is accepted by the European Union. KPI has a preparatory department for foreigners. There is a possibility to study in English and at the same time learn Ukrainian.

Full-time students attend the school for 5 years and 6 months; part-time – 5 years and 10 months.

The school offers 68 majors and 70 minors at its 3 branches. There are 16 departments and a college, including the following:

• Department of Informatics and Computer Engineering that offer courses on Electron Instrument Engineering, Cybernetics, and Control engineering and Computer engineering, among others.
• Electric Power Engineering Automation department that offers courses Electrical Networks and Electric Systems, Central Power Plants, High Voltage Technique, and Cybernetics of Electrical Systems.
• Electro-Acoustic Faculty offering courses in Hydroacoustics Sound Recording, Measuring Techniques, and Microprocessors.
• Faculty of Radioengineering
• Physical engineering department offering courses on Metallurgy, Metals and Alloys, Powder Metallurgy, and others.

Faculty and Academician community

About 70% of KPI teachers have scientific degrees. Among them there are Academicians and Corresponding Members of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Professors, and Merited Scientists. The language of instruction is predominantly Ukrainian, with options of Russian and English also available.

A number of the university's rectors served as ministers of education, including former rector Mykhailo Zghurovskyi.

The UNESCO CEPES (European Centre for Higher Education) ranked Kyiv Polytechnic Institute as the best university in Ukraine.^[46]

Recreation at KPI

Soccer field

The university has a well developed infrastructure of recreation and leisure, including sports, entertainment, arts, and others.

The university has a sports complex with an indoor swimming pool, a multi-hall building, and a soccer field.

The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has been an important center of sports life in the city. Its football team "Politechniki" was one of the first football teams founded in the Russian Empire in 1906–1917.^[47]

The university has several recreational resorts throughout the country. Two resorts are located near Kyiv, one is located in Carpathian Mountains, and another near the Black Sea.^[48]

The university has its own arts center located in Center of Culture and Arts, better known by its Soviet standard name "Palace of Culture".^[49][50] The concert hall of KPI Center Culture and Arts is the main venue of the Ukrainian national qualification for continental song contest Eurovision.

There is a park in the grounds of the university.

International relations

The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has foreign economic relationship with 45 foreign partners from 12 countries of the world. 29 agreements and 17 contracts have been concluded and 77 protocols have been signed: KPI received the certificate as a participant of foreign economic relationship.

The most active international scientific and technological cooperation is carried out by the chairs of the institute with the partners from Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark and Lebanon. Lately the relationship with China, United States, Italy, Vietnam and Spain have become more active. The institute carries out the exchange of students according to the agreement on cooperation with the University of Oregon, United States.

KPI was the first university of Ukraine that joined the community of the European Universities, and signed the Magna Charta Universitatum in September 2003.

Friendly schools

Selected Co-operations

• University of Klagenfurt (Austria)
• University of Antwerp (Belgium)
• Anhui University of Technology (China)
• Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg (Germany)
• University of Miskolc (Hungary)
• University of Manchester (United Kingdom)
• Iowa State University (United States)
• University of Oregon (United States)
• University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States)

Rectors

During its history the university has been headed by 23 rectors:

Petro Talanchuk

Mykhailo Zghurovskyi

Anatolii Melnychenko

• 1898–1902 Viktor Kirpichov
• 1902–1904 Mikhail Konovalov
• 1904–1905 Konstantin Zvorykin
• 1905–1906 Mykola Chyrvynskyi
• 1906–1908 Volodymyr Tymofeyev
• 1908–1911 Konstantin Dementiev
• 1911–1917 Ivan Zhukov
• 1917–1919 Petro Yerchenko
• 1919–1920 George De Metz
• 1920–1921 Serhiy Veselovskyi
• 1921–1921 Ivan Kukharenko
• 1921–1929 Viktorin Bobrov
• 1929–1930 Dmitriy Melnikov
• 1930–1934 unknown
• 1934–1936 Mykola Yefimov
• 1936–1937 Pavlo Zhykharev
• 1937–1941 Mykola Shpylko
• 1941–1942 Mykola Velychkivskyi
• 1942–1944 unknown
• 1944–1952 Oleksandr Plyhunov
• 1952–1955 Vitaliy Gridnyev
• 1955–1955 Ivan Shvets
• 1955–1971 Oleksandr Plyhunov
• 1971–1987 Hryhoriy Denysenko
• 1987–1992 Petro Talanchuk
• 1992–2024 Mykhailo Zghurovskyi
• 2024–present Anatolii Melnychenko

Rankings

University rankings
Global – Overall
QS World[51]	701-750 (2021)

University rankings
Regional – Overall
QS Emerging Europe and Central Asia[52]	63 (2022)

National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" positions in national and international ratings of the best Ukrainian educational institutions, employers ratings, etc.:

• Ukrainian university academic rating "TOP – 200 Ukraine" (2022)- 2nd place.^[53]
• Ukrainian employers rating "Compass" - 1st place.^[54]
• World universities ranking "Webometrics" – 713rd place (2012), 510th (2013), 1538th (2022)^[55]
• QS World University Ranking – 701+^[56]

Notable alumni

• Ivan Bardin, metallurgist
• Saadoun Brahim, a Kyiv Polytechnic Institute student who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a fighter-volunteer
• Boris Yakovlevich Bukreev, mathematicianknown for his works in complex functions, differential equations, and non-Euclidean geometry
• Vladimir Chelomei, Soviet mechanics scientist and rocket engineer
• Valeriia Hontareva, Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine^[57]
• Mikhail Konovalov [uk], chemist
• Sergey Korolyov, rocket scientist
• Arkhip Lyulka, USSR's premier designer of jet engines
• Aleksandr Mikulin, Soviet aircraft engine designer and chief designer in the Mikulin OKB
• Nadiia Omelchenko, entrepreneur, and Vice President of the IT-Integrator company.
• E.O.Paton, inventor of electric welding
• Isaak Sigal, scientist
• Igor Sikorsky, creator of Sikorsky Helicopters
• Stephen Timoshenko, reputed to be the father of modern engineering mechanics
• Oleg Tozoni, the head of the Department of Electrodynamics at the Cybernetics Institute of the Academy of Science.
• Yury Gogotsi, professor of materials science at Drexel University and co-discoverer of MXenes
• Karlis Zalts, mathematician

Scientific journals

• Radioelectronics and Communications Systems^[58][59][60]
• System Research and Information Technologies^[61][62]
• KPI Science News (Naukovi visti NTUU KPI)^{[63][64][65][66]}
• Visnyk NTUU KPI: Informatics, operation and computer science^[67][68]