On 1 December 2025, Sumy National Agrarian University held a regular meeting of the Academic Council, which brought together representatives of the university’s scientific, pedagogical and administrative communities. The event began with a solemn part dedicated to the celebration of Agricultural Workers’ Day, which is celebrated annually in Ukraine on 16 November. The participants emphasised the high professionalism of the university staff, their significant contribution to the training of specialists and the strategic importance of their work for the development of the country’s agricultural sector.
Igor KOVALENKO, Rector of SNAU, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech, emphasising the importance of the agricultural sector for Ukraine’s food and economic stability, as well as the role of the university in developing highly qualified human resources for the state.
After the Rector’s speech, an award ceremony for university employees took place. Alexander MASLAK, Director of the Department of Agricultural Development of the Sumy Regional State Administration, presented certificates of honour to Mykola HORDIENKO, Head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, Zoia SAKHNENKO and Serhiy PYLYPENKO, as well as letters of appreciation from the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Development to Oleksandr VOITENKO, Volodymyr DUBOVYK, Tetiana KUCHKOVA, Valentina MATSENKO, Viktor PETRUK, Olha SEREDA and Oleksandr STOTSKIY.
During the ceremony, Irina BABKINA, Vitaliy KOLODNENKO, Valery LOBODA, and Vyacheslav POTSELUEV were awarded certificates of honour from the Sumy Regional Council. Oleksiy PIDLISNY and Oleksandr TATSENKO got thanks from the Mayor, while Svitlana AGADZHANOVA, Olesia DANILCHENKO, Natalia PROKOPENKO, Valentina RUDENKO, Ihor HRYGOROV, Yaroslav HOROBETS, Oksana KYRYLENKO, Inna SOROKA, Vasyl TOKAR, and Iryna SHAPOVAl got thanks from the Rector of SNAU.
After the ceremonial part was over, the participants of the Academic Council meeting moved on to discussing key issues on the agenda, including personnel decisions and strategic directions for the university’s development. The council members supported appointments to a number of positions in the structural units of the SNAU, which will ensure effective management of the educational process, scientific activities and modernisation of the academic environment. In particular, the following appointments were approved:
The agenda included a report by Student Rector Andrii KOLODNENKO on the activities of the student self-government in 2025. Those present noted the intensification of student initiatives and recommended increasing the involvement of applicants in university projects, career guidance events and the development of student life.
Vice-Rector for Scientific and International Activities Yurii DANKO presented an analytical report on the university’s international activities and the implementation of the internationalisation strategy for2026 2030. Vice-Rector for Educational and Methodological Work Margarita LYSHENKO presented an overview of the state of educational and methodological support for the educational process, which included updating teaching materials, approving educational programmes and developing electronic resources.
In the final part of the meeting, a number of issues related to scientific activity were considered: adjustment of dissertation research topics, approval of individual plans for postgraduate students, adoption of the Regulations on Academic Mobility, and a decision to establish a Centre for the Collective Use of Scientific Equipment for the Latest Agricultural Technologies. Recommendations for the publication of scientific materials were supported and mechanisms for improving the effectiveness of research work were identified.
The meeting was strategically important for determining the university’s priorities for the coming year. The taken decisions are aimed at further strengthening the educational, scientific and international potential of Sumy National Agrarian University and creating a competitive academic environment.
