Завідувач кафедри
Якименко Ігор Леонідович
доктор біологічних наук, професор
Ecology, as the science of close relationships and relationships between all living organisms and the environment, is gaining prominence in the globalized world today. One of the trends in the labor market is the demand for professionals in the field of environmental protection. Ecologist and ecomanager are extremely important professions today, and their relevance will only grow in the near future. After all, while ensuring the protection of the environment, the preservation of people's health, and the stability of the economy, it simultaneously opens the prospects of a successful and financially attractive career. The post-war recovery of Ukraine, which is absolutely impossible without environmental architects - environmental managers, is gaining relevance.
The Department of Ecology and Ecomanagement of the National University of Food Technologies prepares future ecologists in the following specialties:
- 101 «Ecology», educational program «Ecology and eco-management» (educational degree «bachelor», duration of study 3 years 10 months). This is the first level of higher education based on full general secondary education. The program will help to acquire knowledge and skills in the field of ecology, environmental safety and eco-management. Our applicants learn to identify environmental problems of enterprises and develop ways to successfully solve them;
- 101 «Ecology», educational program «Ecology, eco-management and eco-audit» (master's degree, study period 1 year 4 months). This is the second level of higher education for graduates of bachelor's programs. The program is aimed at training specialists who can comprehensively solve the most complex environmental problems at the local, regional, national and international levels. The content of the program covers a wide range of knowledge in ecology, scientific research methodology, environmental safety and takes into account modern achievements of science and technology, sustainable development strategies, legal foundations of environmental policy of Ukraine and the EU, in addition, the educational program is aimed at in-depth study of the features of environmental management, environmental audit, of Ukrainian and international environmental protection legislation, provides knowledge on analysis, forecasting and risk assessment of technogenic impact on the environment, the concept of sustainable (balanced) development.
Starting with the foundation of the department in 1974 and to this day, the educational, scientific and methodical activity of the department is related to the solution of environmental protection issues. Under the leadership of the first head of the department, Professor Gennady Oleksiyovych Nikitin, a scientific school of wastewater treatment and waste disposal biotechnology was created, which laid the foundations for effective management of liquid and solid waste at the country's food enterprises.
In 1995, we carried out the first recruitment of future ecologists at the university and one of the first in Ukraine. And already in 2011, we were the first in Ukraine to receive a license to train specialists in the specialty «Environmental control and audit».
The department prepares specialists with deep and thorough knowledge, professionally teaching almost 40 disciplines, including «Ecology and neoecology», «Management of protected areas», «Meteorology and climatology», «Management of urban and industrial systems», «Alternative energy», «Ecological legislation and management in environmental protection activities», «Environmental risk assessment», «Sustainable development strategy», «Environmental policy and technical regulation in the European Union», «Environmental management and audit», «Environmental modernization of production». The discipline programs are oriented towards the European level of higher education and the awareness of our graduates in both Ukrainian and European environmental practices.
Our applicants have the opportunity to undergo high-quality practical training in public and private environmental companies, research institutions, etc. Among them are the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Kyivvodokanal OJSC, environmental inspections, environmental departments, the Central Geophysical Observatory, UTC - Ukrainian Technological Company PrJSC, Khmelnytsky NPP, Institute of Renewable Energy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology NAS of Ukraine, Institute of Industrial Ecology and many others. In the future, these institutions become a place of future work and successful career growth for our applicants.
The teachers of the department are specialists in the field of environmental protection, who simultaneously with the educational process are engaged in scientific activities, participate in international conferences and symposia, and publish the results of scientific achievements in leading international and domestic scientific publications.
For our applicants, there is an opportunity to independently choose academic disciplines, starting from the 2nd year. Our department is characterized by friendly and partnership relations between teachers and students.
The department conducts active international cooperation with European educational institutions and scientific institutions. We maintain active scientific and educational ties with universities in the European Union and the United States of America, in particular, Masaryk University (Czech Republic), Opole University (Poland), Lund University (Sweden), Leuven University (Belgium), Indiana University (USA). and other recognized international centers of education and science.
In recent years, the department has been actively involved in the implementation of international projects of the European Union Academic Exchange Program ERASMUS+. In particular, teachers and graduates of the department, in cooperation with colleagues from leading universities of the European Union, implement projects:
- Jean Monet EcoPro Module «Tools, policies and best practices of environmental protection in the EU» (2016 - 2019);
- Jean Monet Department of FoodPro «Sustainable production and consumption of food products in the EU» (2017 - 2020);
- Jean Monet JM ECO Center of Excellence «Jean Monet European Union Center for the Cyclical and Green Economy» (2020 - 2023).
- Jean Monet Module «Policy and best practices of the European Union on the management of academic projects» (2022 - 2025);
- Jean Monet Module «EU renewable energy strategy as a roadmap for Ukraine» (2022 - 2025);
- Jean Monet Chair «Effective waste management in the EU - the best choice for Ukraine» (2023 - 2026);
- Jean Monet Chair «Eco-management and eco-communication in the European Union: towards a climate-neutral Europe» (2023 - 2026).
Our applicants take part in academic mobility competitions of the Erasmus+ program. As part of these competitions, the winners can study for one semester in the chosen specialty at one of the leading universities of the European Union countries with full funding of the program.
For active involvement in international exchange programs and improvement of English language skills, the department has an English Speaking Club, which both teachers and students of the faculty have the opportunity to attend.
In recent years, five International Conferences «European Dimensions of Sustainable Development» were held on the basis of the department, where the winners of our department had the opportunity to participate together with leading scientists from the universities of the EU and Ukraine.
Our winners not only diligently master the future profession of an ecologist and ecomanager, but also actively engage in sports (our faculty's teams are multiple prize-winners and winners of football, basketball, and tennis competitions), participate in Freshman Days, Faculty Days, visit interesting places in Kyiv with curators, museums, modern ecological enterprises.
There are active online communities of our department on Instagram and Facebook.