“The Universe Favors the Brave” - the guiding motto of the 1st Serhii Winogradsky International Summer School

Winogradsky International Summer School

held on August 9-18, 2024

in Gorodok, Khmelnytskyi Region, Ukraine

The Serhii Winogradsky Club, in cooperation with the National Center "Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine", organized the First International Summer School named after Serhii Winogradsky - Winogradsky International Summer School. 

The aim of the project was to create a modern communication platform where talented school students could immerse themselves in open scientific and creative dialogue, strengthen their research, self-presentation, and teamwork skills, and receive cutting-edge popular science insights directly from leading international experts. Participants also explored the history of their native region and became acquainted with the scientific legacy of Ukrainian researchers whose discoveries have gained worldwide recognition.

The project was implemented with the generous support of philanthropists - the family of Professor Mykola Gumeniuk, the public association "Up To Future", the Department of Education of the Gorodok United Territorial Community, the Department of Hygiene, Social Medicine, Public Health and Medical Informatics of the Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Khmelnytskyi National University.

Twenty participants were selected from among high school students in the Khmelnytskyi region - particularly from the city of Gorodok - who are passionate about creativity, the natural sciences, and are prize winners of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the field of natural sciences.

Cooperation between the National Center "Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine", the Khmelnytskyi Regional Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of Student Youth, and the public association Technology Transfer Office "Up To Future" began in June 2024, with the signing of a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding. It was at that time that the idea of launching the Winogradsky International Summer School was born.

The Winogradsky International Summer School was held from August 9 to August 18, 2024, at the Winogradsky School Educational Space, located at 20/1 Shevchenka Street, Gorodok, G-Museum.

The official opening ceremony took place on August 10, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., on the 4th floor of the G-Museum, at the address above.

The School’s lecturers included professors, doctors of science, researchers, educators from the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, business coaches, and international academic partners of Up To Future from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and the United States.

The Educational Program Consisted of Two Modules:

І. Innovation. Health Care Startups. Leadership

This module spanned two days and included a series of lectures and interactive sessions delivered by business coaches from the public association Up To Future.

• Olena Trush, Deputy General Director of Oberig Medical Clinic and Business Trainer at Up To Future,

  guided participants through leadership development exercises. She delivered a lecture on launching, managing, and growing a small business, placing particular emphasis on reputation as a key intangible business asset.

• Olha Paraska, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Winogradsky-HUB Project, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Khmelnytskyi National University, and Lecturer at the Lodz University of Technology (Poland),

  presented an overview of existing youth and student-led projects, startup ecosystems, and international scholarship opportunities available to young researchers and innovators. 

• Andrii Horban, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of Up To Future, and Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Higher Education of Ukraine.

• Maksym Smoliar, IT Expert at Up To Future, software developer, and holder of a master’s degree in Information Technology and Public Finance (Accounting and Auditing).

• Andrii Mutyka, Physics Teacher and Mentor at Winogradsky School. 

The Smart Medical Products team presented their innovative solution: HandyUsound - an autonomous, expert ultrasound diagnostic system with an integrated steatometer. Designed for family doctors, emergency medicine specialists, and surgeons, HandyUsound enables early detection of metabolic liver disease (MASLD).

More information: https://www.llcsmp.com 

• Petr Baldrian, Professor and Doctor, Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences,

  gave a lecture titled “Soil Microorganisms as Mediators of Ecosystem Processes.” His talk was interpreted from English by Roman Shyrokov, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, and Academic Vice President of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the United States. 

Final Team Project:

Participants were divided into four teams. Each team was tasked with developing and presenting their own startup idea at the Final Conference. The project work was coordinated by Kateryna Humenna, Project Leader of the Serhii Winogradsky School.

The students also received thoughtful support and mentorship from Oleksandr Kotlinskyi, PhD, Academic Secretary of the Serhii Winogradsky Club, who served as a source of inspiration and academic guidance.

ІІ. Academic Session of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

This five-day module was facilitated by a team of specialists from “MANLab”, one of the largest student laboratories in Eastern Europe. 

During the first two days, students worked with:

• Ihor Chernetskyi - Head of the Department for the Development of Thematic Knowledge Systems at the National Center "Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" (JASU), PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, President of the NGO “Association of Physics Teachers ‘Education Path – XXI’,” Honored Educator of Ukraine.

• Volodymyr Vasylenko - Junior Research Fellow at the Department for the Development of Thematic Knowledge Systems, JASU.

In lectures and workshops, students deepened their understanding of mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and astronomy. They explored the scientific and engineering methods, studied the Solar System, conducted solar observations using a telescope, processed images of planets and deep-sky objects, created an artificial muscle, and investigated a cryohydrate mixture as part of a STEM project. 

On the third day, the team from MANLab and Winogradsky School, together with Gorodok-based local historian Oleksandr Kliots, conducted a scientific expedition to the villages of Velyka Levada and Kupyn, where participants collected samples of local medicinal plants as well as rock and mineral specimens. 

Alongside Yevhen Pashchenko, Research Fellow at JASU and PhD in Economics, students learned to identify rocks and minerals. They assembled their own collection of geological samples, which was ceremoniously donated to the curators of the G-Museum.

The collected plant material was then studied in the Winogradsky School Laboratory under the guidance of Zhanna Bilyk, Senior Research Fellow at JASU and PhD in Biological Sciences.

Participants studied both the light-dependent and light-independent phases of photosynthesis, explored methods for extracting plastid pigments from leaves, and practiced pigment separation using Kraus’ method and adsorption chromatography. They also conducted: alkaline saponification of chlorophyll, observation of chlorophyll fluorescence, detection of primary starch formation in photosynthesizing leaf tissue, spore staining in Bacillus subtilis

In addition, students investigated microorganisms in the Winogradsky column, studied chemosynthesis and the pivotal role of Serhii Winogradsky in its discovery. Identified key organic compounds in plant material gathered during the expedition using qualitative chemical reactions 

Final Team Project:

Participants were divided into six teams. Each team was tasked with: researching the plant specimens they collected, analyzing the results of organic compound and chlorophyll extraction, preparing a scientific presentation to be delivered at the final conference.

Final Conference and Team Project Presentations

The final conference of the Winogradsky International Summer School took place on August 18, 2024, at the Winogradsky School Educational Space. 

Results of Module I: 

Participants presented four startup projects:

1. Help Me Map – a mobile application designed to assist people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and military personnel by mapping accessible infrastructure and support services.Team Leader: Nataliia Bodnarchuk

2. Health – a digital medical data platform allowing users to store and monitor lab test results and track health indicators over time.Team Leader: Veronika Galt

3. Chastotsel – a line of herbal-based remedies focused on supporting cancer treatment, developed from medicinal plant compounds.Team Leader: Anastasiia Levandovska

4. Saver – an automated tourniquet system with a digital timer, built on the Arduino platform for emergency first aid applications.Team Leader: Ivanna Kishyk

The winning team was led by Ivanna Kishyk, whose team stood out for its thorough development of a business model using the Canvas framework, a professional-level pitch, and confident responses to competitive Q&A from other teams. 

In the second module, victory was awarded to the team Rosa Canina, whose scientific rigor and research-based approach earned them bonus points from the academic jury during their final presentation.

The Winogradskiy International Summer School offered high school students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an innovative biological laboratory, acquire new knowledge in the natural sciences, and deepen their understanding of how these disciplines contribute to the development of modern multicomponent technologies. Participants were also introduced to successful Ukrainian startup cases that are currently being implemented in industrial production or undergoing international commercial transfer (as exemplified by the projects of the public association Up To Future), and had the chance to join a startup team and develop their own project.

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The public association Up To Future is a life sciences accelerator that also engages in scientific outreach and research activities. It successfully develops social initiatives such as the Winogradsky Club, Winogradsky School, and Winogradsky Hub.

Website: https://www.uptofuture.org/ 

Instagram Winogradsky School: @biotech.school

The National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” (JASU) is a state-run specialized institution for extracurricular scientific education. Its mission focuses on promoting science and scientific literacy, introducing innovative educational approaches for children through teacher training, and equipping students with effective tools for engaging in research, engineering, invention, and exploratory activities.

Website: https://man.gov.ua/ 

Instagram of the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” @jas.ukraine 

For additional information, please contact:

Alina Barchyshena, Communications Manager

+380982957121

gbiotechschool@gmail.com