USAID Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA) is establishing three modern laboratories for IT specialists, ElectromechatronicsLab, EnergryLab, and FabLab at Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University (EUNU) within a grant framework. These laboratories will link EUNU and businesses; enabling tech students to learn practical skills in modern laboratories and apply them to the workforce.
EUNU is a displaced university, relocated twice from the Luhansk region, and is now based in Kyiv. USAID ERA supported EUNU with office furniture (20 tables, 38 chairs, and four cabinets), and laboratory furniture (18 tables and 18 chairs). Additionally, EUNU received four computers, 15 microcomputers, acoustic systems, interactive boards, projectors, three multifunctional devices, networking equipment, software, a 3D printer, a laser machine, eight educational stands from FESTO, and additional engineering equipment. The grant totals approximately UAH 20 million and around 500 students expect to use this modern equipment.
“Based on FabLab, we will address specific requests on manufacturing, for example, producing prototypes of agricultural machinery components. FabLab employees can research the application of digital technologies for optimizing the production processes. The new technology and software provide a wide range of opportunities for research, including inventory management, equipment operation, and plant growth monitoring,” says Serhiy Mytrokhin, the Dean of the Faculty of Information Technologies and Electronics of EUNU.
“In addition to providing practice opportunities for our students, the staff of partner agricultural companies at the ElectromechatronicsLab will have access to equipment and will be able to acquire or enhance skills in the field of electromechatronics and automation. The skills will be relevant, for instance, when servicing terminals for grain storage or other industrial processes. Students can use EnergyLab equipment to acquire competencies in the field of electrical power engineering and automation. In this laboratory, technicians specializing in electrical engineering, power engineering, control and measurement instruments, automation engineering, and industrial automation system developers will be able to improve their qualifications,” says Serhiy Kudriavtsev, the Dean of Engineering Faculty of EUNU.
Finally, 11 EUNU instructors started courses to master the laboratory equipment, coupling the already adapted theoretical components of the 13 academic disciplines. In accordance with the plan, students will have access to the laboratories in September and will be taught updated course programs moving forward.