How can science, technology and a vibrant innovation environment be brought together? The answer to this question is being sought not only by researchers but also by universities that are shaping a new culture of technical education. One of the faces of this change was Metinvest Polytechnic postgraduate student Serhii Miroshnychenko, who took part in PolyTECH SUMMIT 2025 – an event that brought together more than a thousand students and postgraduates from Ukraine’s technical universities.
His participation was the result of successfully completing the five-week PolyTECH EDU educational programme, organised by the UNIT.City innovation park with the support of Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science in partnership with leading international companies. Serhii ranked among the hundred most active participants in the programme, taking 39th place out of more than a thousand applicants, and received an invitation to the final summit.
Experience that shapes a new generation of engineers
Over five weeks – from 15 September to 17 October 2025 – PolyTECH EDU participants attended more than 20 lectures and workshops delivered by experts from Ajax Systems, Credit Agricole Bank, OMD Optimum Media, Lenovo and Bolt. The programme covered key areas of modern technological education – artificial intelligence, product thinking, creative marketing, engineering technologies and start-up culture.
A distinctive feature of the programme was its achievement system, where participants’ activity and progress were converted into badges, bonuses and PolyPoints – earned by completing tasks in the areas of Tech & Engineering, Creative Thinking & Marketing, and Product & Start-up Thinking.
Serhii Miroshnychenko actively engaged in practical case studies and discussions, showing deep immersion in the programme’s topics. His diligence did not go unnoticed: The postgraduate student received an award for the best question at a lecture by Andrii Knyr, deputy director of the IT development department and head of the R&D division at Credit Agricole Bank, dedicated to the role of artificial intelligence in the digital transformation of banks. In addition, he was among the first eight participants to successfully complete a challenging practical task set by OMD Optimum Media Ukraine, for which he received a separate award from the media agency.
“Studying at Metinvest Polytechnic gave me a solid foundation for taking part in projects such as PolyTECH EDU. Here we don’t just study technology – we learn to think like engineers of the future, to combine science with practice and to see the real impact of our decisions.
The university’s support inspires us to keep moving forward, to join communities where education, business and research create a space for innovation. This is what helped me confidently represent Metinvest Polytechnic among the most active participants in the programme,” says Serhii.
A space for dialogue between education, science and business
The final PolyTECH SUMMIT 2025 took place on 18 October at UNIT.City – the largest innovation park in Eastern Europe. The event brought together students, postgraduates, and representatives of business and government to discuss the future of technology education and career opportunities for young professionals.
Serhii Miroshnychenko attended all the programme’s content blocks and took part in Polytech Quest – an interactive format that involved completing tasks at partners’ stands. He visited all the locations of OMD Optimum Media Ukraine, Ajax Systems, Credit Agricole Bank, Lenovo, Bolt, SKELAR and Universe Group, completed all the tasks and received additional prizes from the organisers.
A particularly valuable opportunity for the postgraduate was the chance to speak in person with Mariia Krasnoshchok, a consultant to Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science on the development of the innovation ecosystem. The conversation touched on the prospects for collaboration between universities and business, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in the educational process – topics directly related to his research interests.
"Taking part in the summit showed the scale of the innovation ecosystem that is developing in Ukraine even under challenging conditions. Talking to representatives of business, government bodies and other participants helped me better understand how scientific research can be transformed into practical solutions,” Serhii adds.
Education with a new meaning
For Metinvest Polytechnic, such stories are not only about the personal achievements of students and postgraduates. It is evidence that the university is fostering an environment where the educational process is closely intertwined with industry, innovation and research.
PolyTECH SUMMIT showed that technology education in Ukraine is taking on a new meaning – one based on partnership, practice and openness to global trends. Metinvest Polytechnic is part of this movement: the university trains specialists who understand how to combine science and industry, technology and social responsibility – and in doing so, it is shaping a new generation of engineers capable of transforming the industry of the future.
