Today, on September 25, Lviv Polytechnic National University hosted a solemn presentation of the restored halls – the Assembly Hall, famous for various events and paintings based on Jan Matejko sketches and the Reading Room of the Old Library, which will now be named after its creator – Julian Zachariewicz, the first Rector of our University.
Due to quarantine measures, the number of people present at the event was limited. Among the honored guests were Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine and a graduate of our University, Andrii Vitrenko, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Maksym Kozytskyi, the Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, and Andrii Sadovyi, the Mayor of Lviv.
The event was moderated by Iryna Kliuchkovska, Director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations.
The event began with the consecration of the halls by Metropolitan Ihor Wozniak and the rector of St. George’s Cathedral, Father Roman Kravchyk.
– The peculiarity is that, first of all, we restored these halls without involving public funds. Secondly, the restorers focused on making the architectural ensemble of Lviv Polytechnic to be included on a UNESCO list. It is also important that both halls were restored by students, postgraduate students and doctoral candidates of Lviv Polytechnic. Fortunately, at our University there is a Department of Restoration of Architectural and Artistic Heritage, which not only took over the methodological support, but the implementation of many types of work in these halls as well, said Rector Yurii Bobalo at the ceremony.
The Rector of the University also noted that our researchers are already developing tourist routes, which will include Polytechnic buildings, in particular these two halls. Polytechnic students will be the first to take these routes. The halls occupy an important place among tourist attractions in Lviv.
Professor Mykola Bevz, Restoration Project Director, Head of the Department of Restoration of Architectural and Artistic Heritage, the Institute of Architecture and Design, told guests about the peculiarities of the restoration work, noting that both halls have elements that still need to be restored.
The final stage of the Prime Minister’s visit to Lviv Polytechnic was the participation in the opening of the technological project competition StartUp Breakthrough 2020.
– Support of innovations is a separate block in our Government program. The strategy of digitalization of the country must promote the emergence of new technological solutions in Ukraine, which will help both the development of the state and the development of innovative enterprises, said Denys Shmyhal. – Ukraine has the potential to be leader in the export of IT services not only in Europe, but also in the world. By 2025, the turnover of the entire export IT industry may reach $ 8.4 billion. It is important to note that Ukrainian developers are gradually moving from outsourcing to creation of their own high-margin products: from «brain export» – to export finished high-quality products with the Made in Ukraine brand.
The official also stressed that the IT industry is a driving force that helps change the principles of the development of national economy: from raw materials to innovation. Our goal is to make the approximately 70% of GDP growth in Ukraine depend on innovative achievements and the use of patents in the latest technologies.
After inspecting the prototypes presented at Tech StartUp School, Denys Shmyhal left his wishes and autograph on the wall, next to the autographs of honored guests who had previously visited this School.
