The speach of NTU “KPI”principal Academician L.L.Tovazhnyansky

Polytechnical university have joined to realization of “Kharkov – Generator of Ideas” project, because everybody who has a concern in production, in science, in education, in culture, in sports, must support this project. Via this we should be able to achieve the modern level, being considered not only as territory in Europe, to confirm the status of worthy partner in economic, intellectual and cultural life of Europian and  world community.

Several years ago the USA delegation, headed by Jankins, (including businessmen, congressmen and politicians) had become aquainted with our "KPI" university activity and marked that our students education and breeding nowadays are praiseworthy. They said: Ukraine has a greate future, because it has such young generation. Kharkov today is the worthy partner in many fields of industry, science and culture; it is the world level partner which talks with Europe as possessing equal rights. Maybe it's some exaggeration, but it seems to me that for a long time the Soviet Union had the visiting card, where Moscow, Leningrad and Kharkov were pointed out. And if you were presented anywhere: “From Kharkov”, everybody could  imagine at once more than 25 higher school educational institutions, 190 thousand of students, more than 350 largest industrial enterprises, which had been famous all over the world.

Now every HSEI, every industrial enterprise, every organization must have the opportunity to enter a dialogue with world systems of education, science, culture, sports and production; the way of development of any organization, its strategy and tactics, its activity cannot be separated from the world advance direction in corresponding field. Communication of Kharkov HSEI, industrial enterprises, cultural institutions of arts and education with correponding partners is the most important condition of their further development. And “Kharkov – Generator of Ideas” project can become the real mean of communication and mutual enreachment not only for our city structures but for all civilized world.

We were living for 10 years of Ukraine independance in hard conditions, but to my mind we overcome many troubles yet, and Khakorv science, education, culture and industry have got the “growth gradient”. I.e. just Kharkov and its powers in appointed sence are capable to become a serious support for Ukraine; Ukraine could be generally recognized in the world just via Kharkov.

We want to overcome with one jump the precipice, which another peoples were overcoming during centures, building the bridges to marketing, developing the states, bringing up the culture. We are doing that far rapidly and therefore neither economists, nor politicians, nor the famous scienticts can give the exact recommendations, how to do it. Philosophers, historians, economists, – they are all in confusion, because we are passing over this intermediate period having no so much  time, how any Europian state had. Let's take the example of Kharkov restoration after the Great Patriotic war. It's difficult to imagine, that only about 50 ago almost all, which have become habitual for us, didn't exist: all was crushed, destroyed, no an entire building, the burnt libraries etc. And all this we have been able to repair, to revive in 56 years after war. Therefore, I believe, the time will pass – and the world community will estimate our today efforts in the accelerated development direction.

We, the collaborators of National Polytechnic University “KPI” –  visit many countries; we have 26 or 28 treaties with leader universities of the world. And visiting that universities we note that the quantity of such questions as “Where is Kharkov?”, “Where is Ukraine?”, “What is the KPI” becomes smaller and smaller. Because of that all this 10 years we tried and get the world market in education, in science, in concluding of treaties, in keeping of active contacts, and to my mind just our higher school institutions must go forvard to establish the image of Kharkov as a generator of ideas.

RESUME

Kharkov as the largest industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of East Ukraine, as the strong partner in many fields of economic, intellectual and creative activity, have all reasons to try and talk with Europe on equal rights. “Kharkov – Generator of Ideas” project is intersting, well-timed, prospective and, first of all, real. It is possible for leading Kharkov enterprises, for scientific and research, educatonal structures, for culture and sports institutions. National Technical University “Kharkov Polytechnic Institute” – one of the largest higher school educational intitutions in the world – supports this project.