On October 7, Sumy National Agrarian University held a ceremonial meeting of the Academic Council dedicated to Educators’ Day. On this day, the university recognized the people who keep education, science, and student life going every day, and honored staff members for their professional achievements and students for their outstanding academic performance.
“Teachers’ Day is, first and foremost, a day for the people who sustain education every day through their hard work, responsibility, and faith in the future. Despite the challenges of war, we continue to teach, conduct research, support students, and develop the university. I sincerely thank every SNAU employee for their professionalism, resilience, and dedication to their work,” said SNAU Rector Ihor Kovalenko.
The meeting of the Academic Council began with a ceremonial presentation of awards to the university’s research and teaching staff in honor of Educators’ Day.
Inna Sokhan—Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, Professor of the department named after L. I. Mikhailova, and Andriy Melnyk—Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, and Forestry.
The Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Sumy Regional State Administration expressed gratitude to: Tetiana Kuchkova—Doctor of Philosophy, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology; Yulia Kishinets—Doctor of Philosophy, Director of the Media Center; Maria Kovaliova—Methodologist at the Educational and Methodological Department for Quality Assurance in Education; Larisa Pliuta—Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Pharmacy, and Biochemistry; Olha Semeniuk—practical psychologist at the Center for Sociocultural and Youth Development; Maryna Shkurko—Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, specialist in the Academic Affairs Department; Oleksandr Yurchenko—Candidate of Technical Sciences, associate professor, and chair of the Department of Energy and Electrical Engineering Systems.
The Chair of the Sumy Regional Council presented letters of appreciation to Oleksandr Nazarenko—Doctor of Economic Sciences and professor in the Department of Accounting and Taxation—and Serhiy Boroday—senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Engineering Surveys. Certificates of Commendation from the Chair of the Sumy City Council were awarded to Volodymyr Trotsenko—Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and professor in the Department of Agricultural Technologies—and Nataliia Kuzmenko—senior lecturer in the Department of State and Legal Disciplines and Ukrainian Studies.
For their dedicated work, professionalism, and contributions to the education and development of students, the following individuals were awarded honors by SNAU: Iryna Habenko, administrative assistant at the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Food Technology; Larysa Kovbasa, administrative assistant at the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Economics and Management; Svitlana Reshetilo, senior laboratory assistant at the Department of Transportation Technologies; Olha Kaliuzhna, chair of the cycle commission for legal and humanities disciplines at the Sumy Vocational College of SNAU; Vitalii Kudinov — Head of Practical Training (academic and industrial); Olha Borysenko — Instructor at the Sumy State Agrarian University’s Putivl Vocational College; Natalia Babenko — Instructor at the Sumy State Agrarian University’s Putivl Vocational College; Natalia Chikalova — instructor of general education subjects at the Okhtyrka Vocational College of the Sumy National Agrarian University; Oksana Lavrus — instructor of specialized subjects at the Okhtyrka Vocational College of the Sumy National Agrarian University; Svitlana Samokhvalova — head of the correspondence division; Oksana Vilkova — instructor of humanities; Nina Romanenko — instructor of general education subjects at the Malovystoropsk Vocational College of the SNAU; Lilia Karpenko — instructor of general education subjects at the Malovystorop Vocational College of the SNAU.
A special musical and choreographic treat for educators was the performance by the exemplary contemporary ballroom dance ensemble “SWAY,” led by Yuriy Serheiev. The group performed the piece “When All This Is Over.”
A separate part of the festivities was the recognition of student achievements. Four SNAU students were awarded scholarships from the head of the Sumy Regional State Administration for the 2026–2027 academic year: Albina Skrynnyk and Olena Savorska, students of the Faculty of Agrotechnology and Natural Resource Management; Volodymyr Romanenko, a student at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; and Kseniia Omelchuk, a student at the Faculty of Food Technology.
Following the ceremonial portion of the meeting, the Academic Council moved on to the working agenda. Yuriy Danko, Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs, presented a proposal regarding support for SNAU candidates participating in the 2026 competition for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Scholarship for Young Scientists. The nominations of Serhii Bokovets, Liudmyla Varenyk, Nataliia Kapinos, Viktoriia Musienko, and Nataliia Tarenlik were submitted for consideration. The Academic Council approved the nominations by a vote.
Next, the deans of the faculties presented the planned areas of scientific research for the departments for the 2026–2027 academic year. The Academic Council approved the proposed areas and emphasized the importance of holding scientific seminars, disseminating best research practices, and preparing publications for leading international scientific journals.
Olena Behmenko, the library director, presented a report on the work of the SNAU Scientific Library and its role in providing information to support the educational and research processes. The Academic Council deemed the library’s work satisfactory. Future tasks include updating the collection with Ukrainian and foreign specialized publications, developing electronic resources and services, supporting academic integrity and digital literacy, and further modernizing the library as a contemporary university information space.
Marharyita Lyshenko, Vice Rector for Scientific, Pedagogical, and Academic Affairs, presented issues related to the organization of the educational process: updating the university’s internal regulatory documents, approving project teams, and recommending educational and methodological literature for publication.
The academic portion of the agenda also included the approval of the composition and work plan of the SNAU Scientific and Coordination Council for the 2026–2027 academic year, the evaluation of scholarship recipients from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, issues related to master’s and doctoral programs, specialized academic councils, and the recognition of the results of internships and professional development.
Thus, the Academic Council’s ceremonial meeting served not only as an opportunity to honor those who contribute daily to the development of SNAU but also as a forum for important decisions regarding the university’s future direction—in education, research, and the professional development of its community.
