Signing a Memorandum on co-operation between the National Bank of Ukraine and Lviv Polytechnic National University became an information pretext to meet Yuriy Bobalo, Rector of Lviv Polytechnic and have an interview with him. There is a brief outline of the Memorandum on the University website.
– Yuriy Yaroslavovych, a question arises: who initiated signing the Memorandum – the National Bank or Lviv Polytechnic?
– There was initiative from the administration of the National Bank. And so far, (at least on the day of my meeting Yakiv Smoliy, acting Head of the National Bank) such co-operation has been declared only with our University, although the Memorandum permits signing similar agreements with other institutions.
– When I say «National Bank», I imagine big money…
– I will have to disappoint you. This Memorandum does not imply any financial responsibilities from both parties. If we do certain work, for instance, in the field of information protection, it will be exclusively based on a contract.
– The document makes provision for holding joint events – workshops, training sessions, scientific and methodological conferences. This also needs finances.
– If such events take place in Kyiv, based on the National Bank, they will finance the event, if we hold such events, we finance them. It is essential for us to continuously increase the quality and level of education and competitiveness of the University graduates at Ukrainian as well as at the international job markets.
– Why do you think the National Bank decided to begin scientific and educational co-operation with our University?
– Evidently, positive image and rating of our educational institution played their part. One of the items of the Memorandum makes provision for working jointly on information security. In this respect, banking institutions can rely on the accomplishments of the Department of Information Security headed by Valeriy Dudkevych, Doctor of Technical Sciences.. Western Regional Training Research Centre for Information Security, which is licensed and does a big amount of contractual work for many institutions, is operating successfully within the structure of the Department. This is a pressing problem all around the world since cyber crime in various spheres is on the increase, including hacking attacks on banking institutions. I hope that the Department of Information Technology Security, headed by Volodymyr Maksymovych, Doctor of Technical Sciences, will also join this cause. Apart from cyber security, the Department of Finance headed by Ihor Aleksyeyev, Doctor of Economics, may also be engaged in the co-operation with the National Bank. The National Bank is prepared to offer internship for the best graduates of Lviv Polytechnic.
– Yuriy Yaroslavovych, apart from the topic of signing the Memorandum, I would like to ask a few more questions. They refer those objects which have to be renovated and reconstructed as soon as possible, maybe even this year.
– The most pressing problem concerns our dormitories. Our 16 dormitories lack space. They can accommodate 6,500 students, but more than 8,000 students stay there now. Another 3,000 students need to be accommodated. Apart from this problem, we need to renovate the existing dormitories constantly. Last year, significant renovation work of Dormitory 1, built in 1927, was completed. This year, we need to conduct major repairs of bathrooms and toilets on the floors І–V, water supply system and sewerage in Dormitory 4. I spoke about good news at the recent staff conference. Finally, we have a positive decision on constructing a new dormitory. 150 million hryvnyas, including 50 million for this year, has been allocated from the state budget. At the moment, project documentation is being reviewed, and construction works are to commence soon. A nine-storey building for 480 students will rise in Vidkryta str. near Dormitory 10.
– Besides space in the dormitories, the University lacks studying space. When will we able to use (after the renovation) the premises of the Centre of Scientific and Technical Information in Chornovil avenue?
– It will not be possible to complete the renovation in one year. Besides, there are tenants in this building whose lease has not finished yet and who maintain the building.
– I know that there has been a discussion about using the building purchased from the former «Polyaron» corporation. The ceilings, which are too high, on the top two floors make it impossible to convert this building into an academic building or a dormitory at a low cost.
– At the moment, we are negotiating with the property developer building dwelling houses around this building. There are two options .They can dissemble this building and in its place erect a building, where they can give us a certain number of flats, or they can purchase this building from us, of course, for bigger money than we had to pay. As far as building dwelling houses on our plots is concerned, we have positive experience. The property developer on the territory adjacent to our Campus gave us seven flats. I have to stress that the price of a two-bedroom flat in Lviv now is $70,000–100,000. In fact, another seven families that will vacate flats in Dormitory 6 and move to the new ones will benefit.
– When I entered the territory of our publishing house, I noticed dilapidated academic building 23.
– The University is interested in completing renovation of this building as soon as possible. We plan to locate here co-working, startup school and hold «Lviv Tech Challenge» – competitions and contests of innovative projects and startups. This building will also host a laboratory of SDN program controlled networks, a conference room for presenting advanced IT learning technologies by leading companies.
– I believe that PE teachers and athletes are looking forward to the completion of renovation in the Palace of Sports of the former society «Labour Reserves»…
– This year, the roof will be repaired and the floor will be changed in the 37m x 30m games room. Soon competitions can be held and sports sections will be able to work here. However, there will be problems with the swimming pool. It has not been used for many years. We do not know about the condition of the pool basin. I am afraid it will leak like a sieve. First of all, we will have to monitor the technical condition of the pool.
– Recently a budget commission of the University Academic Board has been formed. It is headed by Anatoliy Zahorodniy, Head of the Department of Accounting and Analysis of the Institute of Economics and Management. This will make your work on determining the most important expenses for strengthening University infrastructure and doing various renovations easier. But it is obviously an advisory agency, the final decision will be made by you?
– University budget is based on the applications from heads of the departments, directors of the institutes and vice-rectors. The budget commission defines basic principles for forming the budget. Of course, there may be discussions. For instance, members of the budget commission will suggest renovating the underpass from the main building to the academic building 4. I would like this to happen as soon as possible. However, I will try to prove that the underpass can wait, and it is more important to allot money to renovate the academic building in 2 Kolessa str. as soon as possible.
This financial year will be particularly difficult for us. It is connected with increasing the minimal salary to 3,200 hryvnyas. We will have to tap into our special fund and spend money to cover the difference in payment almost 11 million. I spoke about this problem at length at the staff conference. Despite all these problems, I promised that we would not make any employees redundant or make them work part-time. All additional payment and accidental benefits will be paid. Our staff can feel secure and increase their efforts for further improvement of the quality of education, increasing research efficiency and maintaining the good reputation of Polytechnic.