We present to you a report on the career-guidance event:
🧭 Engineering Quest “Intelectiada”: Future Engineers Explore the Path from Steam to Hydrogen
KHARKIV – November 22, 2025. Life was in full swing at the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (NTU “KhPI”). Here, with the support of the Department of Youth and Sports of the Kharkiv City Council, a large-scale engineering quest “Intelectiada” took place, bringing together about 200 school students from grades 4 to 11. The event was so massive that it was held in two shifts, and its main locations were not ordinary classrooms but modern shelter-coworking spaces in the U-2 academic building and the KhPI Library.
🎯 Purpose and Concept of the Event
The “Intelectiada” was organized to introduce schoolchildren to the technical specializations available at the university. The engineering quest played an important career-orientation role, helping pupils understand the world of engineering in an interactive format, see its practical significance, and realize that technical professions are both exciting and promising.
The uniqueness of the event also lay in the use of spaces that combine educational and safety functions. The shelter in the U-2 building, designed for 150 people, had been prepared back in the spring of 2023. Meanwhile, the KhPI Library proudly features its Smart Shelter CLUST — the first space in Ukraine that combines a protective shelter with a modern coworking area, including rest rooms, a cafeteria, and even showers. It was in these innovative conditions that the quest unfolded.
🔧 Participation of the Department of Electric Transport and Diesel Locomotive Engineering
One of the key stations of the quest was the platform organized by the Department of Electric Transport and Diesel Locomotive Engineering (ETT). The department’s lecturers and students introduced schoolchildren to its activities, explaining essential physics concepts, the operating principles of thermal engines, and current environmental challenges.
This interaction was especially meaningful because the ETT Department has a rich history dating back to 1892, when the training of steam-locomotive engineers was first established. Today, its activities go far beyond locomotive engineering and include cutting-edge developments in electric transport and even hydrogen technologies. By presenting its work, the department effectively demonstrated to schoolchildren the evolution of railway transport “from steam to hydrogen,” inspiring them to become part of future innovations.
🚀 Course of the Quest and Participants’ Impressions
Divided into teams, the students had the opportunity to complete a series of challenges at different thematic stations dedicated to important areas of modern engineering. The tasks were designed to engage children of all ages — from younger pupils to future applicants.
“We thank the school students for their activity and thoughtful questions, and the organizers for the opportunity to be part of such a valuable and inspiring project!” shared representatives of the ETT Department.
The participants not only gained new knowledge but also enjoyed the event, and the most active of them were awarded memorable gifts.
