Every Saturday in May, Ukraine celebrates Science Day – a holiday of constant progress, a celebration of people who strive to glimpse into the future. Ukraine is a country with a high level of education and science, and its scientists make daily efforts aimed at understanding the world, ensuring sustainable development of society and the state. With this purpose in mind, the faculty staff of Poltava State Medical University are working, contributing to the latest technologies in the prevention and treatment of common diseases, and improving the quality of life of the population. Despite the challenges of the difficult year of 2022, the scientists are demonstrating results that are unquestionably worth pride.
Our Vice-Rectors, Igor Kaidashev and Igor Skrypnyk, have become Deputy Heads of the Expert Councils of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on the certification of scientific staff.
The cohort of Doctors of Medical Sciences at the university has been replenished by Yana Yemchenko, the Head of the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases. Twenty postgraduate students have received doctoral degrees based on their learning and research achievements.
The current realities highlight the importance and necessity of training future scientists in the field of medicine. We acknowledge these challenges and take them on. According to the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 894 dated October 10, 2022, “On decisions regarding the awarding of academic degrees and conferring scientific titles and amendments to certain orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine,” specialized scientific councils have been established at Poltava State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine: D 44.601.02 with the authority to consider and defend dissertations for the scientific degree of Doctor (PhD) of Medical Sciences until October 10, 2025, in the following specialties: 14.01.02 - Internal Medicine, 14.01.11 - Cardiology, 14.01.20 - Dermatology and Venereology (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/spetsrada/specializovana-vchena-rada-d4460102 ); D 44.601.01 with the authority to consider and defend dissertations for the scientific degree of Doctor of Sciences in the specialty 14.01.22 “Dentistry” until October 10, 2025 (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/spetsrada/specializovana-vchena-rada-z-fahu-stomatologiya-d4460101).
The development of research and analytical abilities of the younger generation of scientists is also among the priorities of our present-day. The organization, moderation, and monitoring of academic mobility within the Erasmus+ program for doctoral and higher education students are systematically carried out. For instance, Anastasiia Lypko, a Bachelor's level higher education student, completed the practical training at the University of La Rioja. Our PhD students Nizar Kerbaj, Marina Vasko, Anna Dvornyk and Iryna Kuz carried out research training at the University of Santiago de Compostela as part of their PhD programs (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/erazmus-plus ). The students highly appreciated the research experience at the partner institutions and had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with advanced scientific methodologies in the field of healthcare. At the invitation of the Warsaw Medical University, our PhD students Anastasiia Zhyvotovska and Anastasiia Vatsenko participated in the international conference "Three years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the context of health, patient and staff safety, economics, and education."
Our young scientists have been honored at the state level. University’s faculty members Volodymyr Hryn, Dmytro Boiko, Georgiy Levytskyi, and higher education student Yelyzaveta Matsytska have become recipients of the Hero of Heavenly Hundred of Ukraine Igor Serdiuk scholarships. Valerii Zhamardiy and Anastasiia Vatsenko have been awarded scholarships by the Poltava City Council for young researchers.
The youngest scientists, who are students, have personally or in collaboration published 267 abstracts in conference proceedings, 12 articles in periodic scientific publications of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and 8 articles in publications indexed by SCOPUS and Web of Science.
Science is closely interconnected with the education. Therefore, university scientists are actively engaged in methodological issues related to the provision of the educational process.
At the third (educational-scientific) level of higher education, all educational components are represented in the system through interactive educational content, including interactive lectures, educational and assessment tests, and multimedia materials. The educational platform successfully facilitates learning sessions and assessment activities. In situations where traditional face-to-face education is not feasible, university doctoral students continue their studies, take exams and quizzes, undergo planned assessments of attained knowledge, and communicate with teachers. The initiative has also been embraced by the teachers at the second (master's) level of higher education. The team of the Department of Internal Medicine No. 3 with Phthisiology has developed an interactive course on “Propaedeutics of Internal Medicine” for students of the Dental Faculty.
The celebration of Science Day at Poltava State Medical University was preceded by a series of events. The Science Forum brought together the recognition of student science and a review of the achievements of young researchers. It also gathered representatives from various biomedical fields to discuss integration into the global research space. The university hosted the 3rd International Medical Students Conference in Poltava (IMEDSCOP 2022) (http://sntpdmu.pl.ua/uk/conference), the competition for scientific works by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/sections/naukovyi-viddil/vseukrayinskiy-konkurs-studentskih-naukovih-robit-2020-2021-rik), the competition for scientific works by young researchers (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/sections/naukovyi-viddil/tmv  ), and the scientific seminar “Philosophy of Psychiatry as a Tool for Studying Psychopathology.” Additionally, there was an All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference for young researchers with international participation called “Advancements in Experimental and Clinical Medicine” in memory of Professor Oleksandr Katrushov, as well as the 3rd International Scientific-Practical Online Conference on “Current Trends in Foreign Language Studies and Teaching.” Active preparations are underway for the VI All-Ukrainian Scientific-Practical Conference with international participation “Poltava Public Health Days.” A Scientific Supervisor School was organized, consisting of a series of lectures aimed at mastering the methodology of biomedical research, and the educational manual “Methodology of Research” by G. Morokhovets, Yu. Lysanets, and I. Kaydashev was presented.
In the conditions of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the international dimension of scientific work and support from foreign colleagues are extremely important. From the early days of the war, appeals were sent to leading international organizations such as the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), European University Association (EUA), Magna Charta Observatory, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), International Association of Universities (IAU), and others, urging them to diplomatically respond to russian aggression, war crimes, and the silent consent of russian society. These actions are completely incompatible with fundamental European and universal values, contradict all principles of the international scientific community, and pose a threat to the civilized world as a whole. As a result of effective communication of PSMU, scientific and educational institutions from the aggressor country have been excluded from membership, funding, and cooperation with a number of international organizations. This is a significant contribution to the joint diplomatic efforts of the civilized world against russian aggression and one of the important tools in the fight for peace in Ukraine.
PSMU has obtained membership in the European University Foundation (EUF) through a competitive process. Joining the European University Foundation opens up new perspectives for international cooperation in scientific projects, opportunities for academic mobility, exchange of expertise in curriculum development, and the use of innovative teaching methods and tools. As part of the collaboration with EUF, PSMU has participated in the international project WISE (Well Being Innovation for Students in Europe).
The project “DigiTal tRANSFORMation of higher dental EDucation (TRANSFORMED)” has been developed in collaboration with the University of Porto (Portugal), the University of Paul Sabatier (France), the University of Perugia (Italy), and Vilnius University (Lithuania) to participate in the “Capacity building in the field of higher education – 2023” competition. The project “Fostering InterDISciplinary research TRAINing on health and aging (DISTRAIN)” (KA220-HED - Cooperation partnerships in higher education) has been developed and submitted for consideration jointly with universities from Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and France. A project titled “Achieving research anD innoVAtion excelleNce in health sciences Through stAff exchanGEs (ADVANTAGE)” has been developed in collaboration with the University of West Attica (Athens, Greece) for participation in the “Fostering balanced brain circulation (BBC) - ERA Talents (HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-03), Type of action: HORIZON-CSA HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions” competition, together with higher education institutions and organizations from Belgium, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, and Georgia. The development of the project “Integrating Genomics into Drug Discovery and Development: Challenges in Cardiac Fibrosis (DADIC)” is underway in collaboration with higher education institutions and organizations from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden. Cooperation with the Magna Charta Universitatum Observatory continues. In April 2022, a meeting of the signatory HEIs of the Magna Charta Universitatum took place in Stockholm. During the meeting, among other things, solidarity with Ukraine during the russian invasion was emphasized, and current directions for supporting Ukrainian signatory HEIs of the Magna Charta Universitatum were discussed. Within the Partnership Program for Hospitals “Emergency Measures in the Field of Infectious Disease Diagnostics,” the Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases with Epidemiology, Tetiana Koval, and a junior researcher from the University Research Institute, Alina Kabalei, took the training at the Institute of Virology at the University of Duisburg- Essen (Germany).
Developing the educational environment to a modern level, the university has conducted 20 scientific-practical events under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Ministry of Education and Science. The university’s staff has published over 200 articles in authoritative scientific databases such as Scopus and Web of Science (https://www.scopus.com/affil/profile.uri?afid=60070097 , https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/summary/f2090ed7-e36f-461e-8705-7406a72fd160-39091b2a/relevance/1 ). In the university ranking based on SCOPUS indicators in 2023, PSMU was ranked 86 (https://osvita.ua/vnz/rating/88976/ ). Over 40 medical technologies have been developed for practical implementation in the diagnostic and treatment processes of healthcare institutions in Poltava and the region. As a result of patent and licensing work, 120 patents and 37 innovations in the medical field have been published.
The ranking of scientific and pedagogical staff of the University (https://www.pdmu.edu.ua/storage/sections_nv/docs_links/rRYHAasCxfq07zTS5cYJHohdOBb1PlIcfklYziyV.pdf ) testifies to their diligent work for the benefit of the national medical science.

In the conditions of the current wartime situation, the role of science is growing, and it will be at the forefront of Ukraine’s development. May science continue to unite people in their aspiration to make the world a better place and bring joy to its creators! To all those whose destiny is connected with science, we wish new achievements, the conquering of desired peaks, and, of course, Victory!
Happy Science Day!