The Department of Entrepreneurship and Environmental Examination of Goods was established on October 17, 2011, as part of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Tourism named after Viacheslav Chornovil (now the Educational and Scientific Institute of Sustainable Development named after Viacheslav Chornovil) at Lviv Polytechnic National University.
From its foundation until September 2013, the department was headed by Professor Mykola Rymar, Doctor of Economics, Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine. Under his leadership, two Master’s programmes were licensed and accredited: Environmental Protection Management and Environmental Economics and Natural Resources.
In September 2013, Professor Sviatoslav Kniaz, Doctor of Economics, was appointed Acting Head, and from September 2, 2014, Head of the Department. Under his leadership, the department licensed the specialty Commodity Science and Trade Entrepreneurship, which in 2015 was renamed Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Exchange Activities. Today, this speciality is licensed and accredited at all three higher education levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
2018, the department opened doctoral studies in Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Exchange Activities. In 2019, it launched Research Laboratory NDL-124 for the quality and safety expertise of goods.
In 2022, by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 1179 (November 5, 2021), the department was designated as the base institution for the 2nd round of the All-Ukrainian Student Research Competition in the specialty E-commerce.
Since 2025, the Head of the Department has been PhD in Economics, Associate Professor Nadiya Yavorska, who continues to develop educational programs to train highly qualified specialists in entrepreneurship, trade, and commodity science.
The department annually prepares updated educational and methodological complexes, and its academic staff are authors of leading textbooks and research in entrepreneurship, trade, exchange activities, and commodity expertise. Over recent years, it has established traditions of publishing an annual collective monograph, a commodity science reference book, and materials from its methodological and scientific seminars. The department also organises regular student visits to enterprises and laboratories for practical training in quality expertise of raw materials and finished products.
The department trains specialists in speciality D7 Trade, within the field of knowledge D Business, Administration, and Law, in full-time and part-time formats under the following programmes:
- Bachelor’s: Educational and Professional Programme Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Exchange Activities
- Master’s: Educational and Professional Programme Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Exchange Activities
- PhD: Educational and Scientific Programme Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Exchange Activities
Teaching is focused on high-quality educational delivery, complete and timely implementation of curricula, and a strong emphasis on classroom engagement. The department develops educational and methodological complexes and course programmes for all disciplines, with materials accessible via Lviv Polytechnic’s virtual learning environment, enabling distance learning and improving education quality.
A student-centred approach combines interactive teaching methods, case studies, business games, testing, discussions, and round tables. Lessons are supported by multimedia equipment and didactic materials.
The department actively involves employers, industry experts, and practitioners in the educational process, including:
- Specialists from EcoTerra, Alliance Market, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Smart Way Logistics, ANKO Ukraine, IT companies ( SMSwords, Trosthelden ), and KredoBank .
- Entrepreneurs and managers from Laser-house, Lviv Snail Farm, Galichyna Credit Union, and NAK.
- Representatives from public institutions, including the State Audit Service and UkrEximBank.
Students participate in field lessons and excursions to:
- The Regional Consumer Rights Protection Office
- The National Metrology Museum at the Lviv Scientific and Production Center for Standardization, Metrology, and Certification
- State laboratories for food safety and consumer protection
- Local enterprises such as Lviv Reinforced Concrete Plant No. 2, AgroSmak, Galka LTD, and the Lviv Regional Phytosanitary Laboratory
These activities bridge academic learning with real-world applications, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for entrepreneurship, trade, and quality expertise careers