From the anniversary session of the General Meeting of the NAS of Ukraine
Energy and medicine, defense and agro-industrial complex, education and legislation… The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and national branch academies actively participated in solving the most acute problems and challenges the State and society faced during the 30 years of Independence. The achievements of our academic science were discussed during the anniversary session of the General Meeting of the NASU.
ECONOMIC EFFECT
With Ukraine’s independence, in the face of severance of economic ties and, practically, the complete destruction of branch science, the National Academy of Sciences took over the scientific and technical support of the basic branches of the national economy and important high-tech industries.
Academician Anatoliy Zagorodniy, President of the National Academy of Sciences, emphasized this fact in his speech. In particular, the answer to the needs of nuclear energy development in Ukraine was the creation of a new Department of Nuclear Physics and Energy, whose main task was the scientific support of reliable and safe operation of the nuclear energy complex of Ukraine.
According to the results of the Academy assessment of the state of the nuclear power plant reactors, the decommissioning of 11 out of 15 operating power units has been postponed for 10-20 years. The economic effect of extending the life of service of one unit is about 1.5 billion hryvnias per year.
As for other achievements in the sphere of energy, the specialists of the Academy have developed innovative technologies for replacement of anthracite at national CHP-plants and TPPs. The machine-building specialists from Kharkiv together with the JSC “Turboatom” have developed the up-to-date low-pressure steam turbine cylinder with a capacity of 220 MW for nuclear power plants. In addition, the President of the National Academy of Sciences reminded that scientists of the Academy have developed technologies and established the production of equipment for butt welding of high-strength steel rails. The total effect of this development is billions of hryvnias.
FUNDAMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS
According to the President of the National Academy of Sciences, fundamental achievements in a number of areas of mathematics, mechanics, cybernetics, theoretical physics, solid state physics, plasma physics, high-energy physics, physical chemistry, space research and Earth sciences have gained worldwide recognition. New areas of focus of materials science were introduced, new generations of materials, methods of their connection and processing, nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, information technologies and systems were created. Significant results are obtained in the study of chemical structure, kinetics and reactivity of molecules, synthesis of potentially bioactive compounds, creation of functional polymers and composites, new substances for medicine and agriculture, methods of waste conversion, solution of other environmental challenges. Much effort has been made with a focus on studying the structure of genes and the systems that regulate their expression, establishing functional relationships between the body’s proteins, which make it possible to diagnose diseases and develop medicines of new generation.
SCIENCE – TO THE DEFENSE
In recent years, research for the needs of the State defense and security has been an important priority of the NAS. Anatoliy Zagorodniy reminded, that in 2015 the Academy launched and implemented a relevant targeted scientific and technical program, within which more than 100 very important outcomes were obtained, in particular, the first national samples of transparent armor that meet the NATO standard, X-band radar station and unmanned aerial vehicle acquisition system, camouflage composite coatings were developed. Many developments are aimed at improving the tactical and technical characteristics of weapons, ammunition, missile systems, increasing the level of ballistic protection, increasing the survivability of structural elements of machines. In particular, biomaterials for bone regeneration, modern technology for cryopreservation of blood cells, various hemostatic agents and special dressings for the treatment of complex burns and wounds have been created for military medicine.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
A number of highly effective medical developments save and improve the quality of life of tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Among them, Anatoliy Zagorodniy mentioned new medicines and medications, test systems and diagnostics, treatment methods and technologies, medical devices. For example, the magnetocardiographic scanner based on SQID sensors, the contact digital thermograph, devices for restoration of movement and speech impaired due to severe diseases of the neuromuscular system (stroke, heart attack, infantile cerebral palsy) and injuries, revolutionary technologies for the treatment of strabismus and normalization of vision in children, technologies for diagnosis and treatment of tumors of different histogenesis, more than 50 active prototypes of biosensors, test systems for molecular diagnosis of severe hereditary diseases, etc.
– Our scientists have not stayed away from the combat against the coronavirus pandemic, – Anatoliy Zagrodniy added. – They have developed reliable PCR test systems for the diagnosis of especially dangerous viral infections, including combined test systems involved in monitoring the emergence of new strains of coronavirus in Ukraine, they are searching for new medicines against COVID-19. National vaccines against coronavirus infection are being developed, the causes of post-covid cognitive impairment are being investigated, and the search for ways to treat them is underway.
Vitaliy Tsymbaliuk, President of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, also spoke about the achievements in the field of medicine: – Specialists of the National Academy of Medical Sciences perform the most modern surgical operations, in particular, the plasty of the anterior abdominal wall and obstetric cardiac surgery.
– Since the beginning of the war, the Academy is at war, Mr. Tsymbaliuk said. – We have created specialized brigades that went to the front, and we also manage medical and psychological rehabilitation of servicemen. Our specialists provided assistance to almost 23,000 ATO/JFO participants. 17,000 of them received medical advices and 5,667 people were hospitalized. The most complex surgical interventions were performed. In particular, the surgeons managed to save fighters with shrapnel wounds to the heart. The Atlas of Combat Surgical Trauma (based on the ATO/JFO experience) was published together with military medical professionals. NAMS is also at war with the pandemic. In particular, specialized departments have been organized to rescue the most seriously ill patients.
FOR THE AGRO-INDUSTRY
According to the President of the National Academy of Sciences, significant attention was focused on solving the problems of agro-industrial complex development, especially, in terms of creating innovative resources for agricultural production, environmentally friendly technologies for growing crops, and biosecurity systems.
– In total, the achievements of our scientists include more than 170 varieties of winter wheat, rye, triticale and corn hybrids, – Anatoliy Zagorodniy said. – They are widely implemented in agricultural production in Ukraine and other countries. In recent years, winter wheat varieties selected by scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine grow on more than 2 million hectares, that is, more than 30% of the crop production area that is sown with this cereal in the country, which allows to get cereal crops that fully meet Ukraine’s annual wheat grain needs.
President of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences Yaroslav Gadzalo said that NAAS scientists have developed methodological bases for soil assessment, as well as rational approaches to efficient use and preservation of soil fertility, which has doubled grain production and export over the past 20 years, creating new varieties and hybrids of plants, breeds and types of farm livestock, means of disease prevention and control.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF LAWYERS AND TEACHERS
The participants at the meeting also discussed the achievements of jurists. According to Anatoliy Zagorodniy, the jurists of the National Academy of Sciences provide a comprehensive and scientifically balanced legislative process in Ukraine. Scholars have made thorough proposals for constitutional, judicial, administrative-territorial reforms, reforms of law enforcement agencies, improvement of all policy drafting and legislative work.
President of the National Academy of Legal Sciences Oleksandr Petryshyn mentioned several tasks that NALS scholars are working on. The first is the changes to the Constitution. “It seems to me that there is a consensus in our society, in particular, in terms of strengthening State principles and the mechanism of human rights protection,” Mr. Petryshyn said. In addition, the scientists of the Academy actively work on a new Criminal Code, which should finally meet European standards, as well as on improving the Civil Code, and legal support for administrative and territorial reform.
President of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kremen reminded that during the years of Ukraine’s independence two generations of educational laws were created with the active participation of scholars of the NAPS and its subordinate institutions, the concept of educational standards was implemented at all levels: preschool, primary, basic and senior (now specialized). professional (vocational), professional high and higher education. New content and innovative teaching methods are developed in accordance with the standards; curricula, textbooks, manuals are written. “The scientists of the Academy wrote about 70% of textbooks for general secondary education”, Vasyl Kremen stressed. – And for the children with special needs, almost 100% of textbooks are authored by academic scientists.
IMMEDIATE OUTLOOK
The need for further reform of internal life and improvement of the structure of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in accordance with the requirements of the time is obvious, Anatoliy Zagorodniy said. The first changes have already begun. The democratic principles of the academic system have been strengthened, modern methods of evaluating the effectiveness of scientific institutions and new principles of financing priority research projects have been introduced, the management structure of the Academy has been improved, a complete inventory of material and technical base and land plots has been started.
Particular attention is paid to attracting young scientists to the Academy. To this end, grants are launched to research laboratories and groups of young scientists of the Academy to conduct research in priority areas of science and technology, a program of postdoctoral research is introduced, opportunities for additional financial incentives are created.
The President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine drew attention to the fact that the main focuses of improving the activities and development of the Academy are concentrated in the Concept of Development of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for 2021-2025, which was recently adopted. They concern the provision of scientific research at a high level, focusing on solving actual problems of science and technology; conducting high-quality innovation activities, ensuring integration into the global, beginning with the European, research space; development of research infrastructure. And improvement of staffing; efficient use of budget funds; streamlining of the property complex and its effective use; high level of communication with society and popularization of scientific activity as well.
Dmytro SHULIKIN, Svit newspaper, №33 – 34, September, 2021