On 24 April 2025, the Department of Intercultural Communication and Foreign Language held the annual postgraduate conference “An Innovative Model of Research Projects Aimed at the Integration of Ukraine into the European Scientific Space” in Teams, which this year was dedicated to the 140th anniversary of NTU “KhPI”.
The conference was attended by more than 90 postgraduate students who are taking the course “Foreign Language for Communication in the Scientific and Pedagogical Environment” at the ICIM Department. Head of the Department, Professor, Doctor of Psychology Tatyana Sergeeva opened the event with a welcoming speech. A member of the organising committee, Matthew Tong (Professor at the University of Buckinghamshire, UK), made a presentation and answered questions from postgraduate students and lecturers about education in a multicultural environment in different countries, the use of the latest technologies, including Chat GPT, and reflections on their impact on educational and scientific experience.
The conference was a unique example of truly multidisciplinary interaction. The topics covered by the speakers were from different fields of knowledge: chemistry, energy, mechanical engineering, new technologies, economics, etc. But all of them were united by one goal: Ukraine’s integration into the European Scientific Area in the context of a new paradigm. This system-forming factor made it possible to integrate an innovative form of multidisciplinary communication into the practice of university education. The speeches in the format of bright and interesting presentations were in line with international standards that had been learnt in the course of their studies. Postgraduate students presented their own research, some of which was even the first not only in Ukraine but also in the world. Particular emphasis was placed on how this research could improve the development of various industries in Ukraine, especially in the current realities.
The conference is an example of the integration of theory and practice. In the first year of study, postgraduate students not only gain experience of participating in an international conference through a report with a presentation in English according to international standards, but also have the opportunity to make their first publication, in which their supervisor and foreign language teacher provide multidisciplinary support. This is an example of innovative teaching in the academic discipline of a foreign language, which develops linguistic competence in synergy with critical-hypothetical-creative thinking, scientific generalisation, social and emotional intelligence, and the ability to present oneself. The strategic goal is to develop a postgraduate student as an agent of positive change, which is my specific dimension in the format of a graduate profile.
The conference proved once again that NTU KhPI postgraduate students have a strong scientific potential. The Department of Intercultural Communication and Foreign Language is proud of them and is happy to teach English to future scientists of Ukraine. We look forward to seeing the abstracts published in the conference proceedings and the victories of our young scholars in international competitions and programmes.