On August 10, Sumy National Agrarian University hosted an open discussion on the future of the construction industry, the reconstruction of the Sumy region, and the role of education in training specialists who will shape the region’s new face in the coming years. The roundtable discussion, titled “Ukraine’s Construction Industry: Education, Innovation, and Reconstruction,” brought together representatives from the university, leading construction companies in the region, faculty members, and students.
For the Sumy region, the topic of construction is of particular importance today. The war is changing the region’s cities and villages every day, and consequently, the need for specialists capable not only of rebuilding what has been destroyed but also of creating safe, modern, and accessible spaces will only continue to grow.
SNAU is the only university in the region that trains professionals in the construction industry. At the same time, this field of study is in high demand among young people: this year, the “Construction and Civil Engineering” program ranks third at SNAU in terms of the number of applicants.
This is an important sign: young people see a future in professions without which the recovery of the Sumy region and Ukraine would be impossible. For its part, the university fosters an environment where future builders can receive a thorough education, gain practical experience, and establish direct contact with potential employers.
Representatives of the SNAU administration and the Faculty of Construction and Transportation, as well as leading figures in the region’s construction industry, joined the discussion: Iryna Gudzenko, acting head of the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Cultural Heritage Protection of the Sumy City Council; Volodymyr Bykov, Honored Architect of Ukraine, winner of the State Prize in Architecture, and director of the Sumy branch of the State Scientific Research, Design, and Survey Institute “NDIproektrekonstruktsiya”; Mykola Hrechanychenko, representative of Sumy Promproekt PJSC; Liubov Karpenko, Executive Director of RGM GROUP; Artem Bezruchko, Director of Mostobud LLC; Vadym Shpota, Director of the Scientific and Production Enterprise “Construction Science”; Ivan Telyushchenko, CEO of “Kerameia” LLC; and Vitalii Avramenko, Deputy CEO for Marketing at “BVK Company ‘Fedorchenko’” LLC
Second- and third-year students of the “Construction and Civil Engineering” program, Daria Girych and Snizhana Onyshkevych, also joined the discussion. For their active participation in university life and outstanding academic performance, SNAU Rector Ihor Kovalenko presented the students with certificates of appreciation. For these future professionals, the meeting provided an opportunity to hear directly from industry representatives about the future of the profession and the types of specialists the region will need during the recovery process.
For their significant contributions to the development and promotion of the educational program, Lyudmila Tsyganenko, head of the Department of Building Structures, Dmytro Boroday, head of the Department of Architecture and Engineering Surveys; and Oksana Yurchenko, acting head of the Department of Construction and Operation of Buildings, Roads, and Transportation Structures.
Participants discussed the reconstruction of the Sumy region, engaging young people in this process, updating educational programs, strengthening the practical component of education, and new formats of cooperation between SNAU and businesses.
They specifically emphasized the high quality of professional training at SNAU and the university’s importance to the region. After all, today its role extends far beyond the lecture halls: it fosters a professional environment where education, science, business, and the future builders of the Sumy region come together.
Ihor Kovalenko, Rector of SNAU, emphasized that the construction sector is one of the key sectors for the region’s future today:
“The construction sector is more important today than ever before. We are proud to serve as a platform for dialogue between education and practice, between students, faculty, and the business community, and to be able to provide high-quality training for young professionals and work together to develop the industry in the region. The Sumy region suffers from enemy attacks every day, but alongside the pain, we have the confidence and knowledge that will help us build a safe ‘tomorrow’ for all of us. During wartime, the requirements for buildings change: accessibility, safety, and functionality are particularly valued. It is important that entrepreneurs, our students, and prospective students all understand this. Gathered around this table are representatives of the region’s leading construction companies and young people who are already choosing this profession today. And this is, perhaps, one of the best guarantees that after our victory, we will have people to rebuild the Sumy region.”
Taking this opportunity, the rector of SNAU congratulated representatives of the construction industry on their professional holiday—Builders’ Day, which is traditionally celebrated in Ukraine on the second Sunday in August.
This year, it fell on August 9—a day dedicated to people whose work is of particular importance today. Builders are not only erecting new structures but also restoring cities and villages damaged by russian attacks, creating accessible and safe spaces, and laying the foundation for Ukraine’s future.
SNAU thanks all its partners for their trust, collaboration, and willingness to work together to train the specialists who will rebuild the Sumy region after victory. Because reconstruction begins not only with projects and materials—it begins with the people who are ready to carry it out today.
