On the occasion of Europe Day, a number of meetings with European diplomats, experts and representatives of EU-funded projects and programs and Ukrainian youth are taking place in May. Representatives of the European Investment Bank joined this initiative and had an online meeting with university students participating in the energy-saving project «Higher Education of Ukraine».
Lviv Polytechnic also participates in the project «Higher Education of Ukraine», which is financed by the European Investment Bank. So our students had the opportunity to join the meeting and talk to Jean-Erik De Zagon, Head of the EIB Representation to Ukraine, and Anastasia Harlan, Senior Credit Officer of the EIB in the public sector of the Eastern Partnership countries.
First, Jean-Erik De Zagon addressed the students, and told how the European Union and its main institutions work, as well as spoke about the cooperation between the European Investment Bank and Ukraine. In addition, he paid special attention to the EIB support for Ukraine and Ukrainian projects.
Then Anastasia Harlan, who has been working at the European Investment Bank since 2014, and before that had extensive experience working in commercial banks, and was responsible for the large business loans, spoke to the participants of the meeting. She told in more detail about the energy-saving project «Higher Education of Ukraine».
«This project was initiated by seven universities, later fourteen higher education institutions joined it. The main part of the project is invested by the EIB. Today, the availability and cost of energy carriers has obviously changed. There is an understanding that instead of buying energy carriers, Ukraine has a great potential to store energy. Our project aims to insulate the buildings of the participating universities in order to significantly reduce the use of energy carriers. At the same time, measures are being taken to insulate the load-bearing structures, to replace roofs, windows, heating systems, lighting, and air conditioning – all this also provides comfort and improves the learning process for students, teachers, and university employees.
In addition, we have to assess the risks of environmental impact in order to avoid negative aspects – this is an important element that cannot be treated only from a formal point of view. We are glad that in many technical universities, the specialties of certified energy auditors are appearing today, which will make it possible to plan and implement such measures not only in the participating universities, but also in administrative buildings, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc.», noted Anastasia Harlan.
At the end of the event, the participants had the opportunity to talk to the speakers and ask questions.
