Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology and Ecology

History


The faculty was founded in 1962 at the USGA. It consisted of three specialized departments: general entomology; agricultural and forest entomology; phytopathology. Later, the Department of Botany joined the faculty, and after some time, the departments of foreign languages: English, German, and French. In 1989, the Department of Technology, Cultivation, and Protection of Tropical and Subtropical Crops was established at the faculty, which in 1994 was renamed the Department of Global Agricultural Technologies, and later the Department of Plant Quarantine and Global Agricultural Technologies. In 1995, the Department of Agromicrobiology and Virology was established at the faculty. In 2003, the faculty was reorganized into the Faculty of Plant Protection and Biotechnology, and later merged with the agronomic, agrochemical, and fruit and vegetable faculties to form the Faculty of Agrobiology. After the creation of a separate training program for specialists in “Plant Protection,” the Faculty of Plant Protection was reestablished. During its existence, the faculty has trained specialists with the following qualifications: “plant protection agronomist,” “entomopathologist,” “plant protection inspector,” “plant quarantine inspector,” and “plant protection researcher.”


Based on the decision of the Academic Council of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine dated December 24, 2014, the Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology, and Ecology was created by merging the Faculty of Biotechnology, the Faculty of Ecology, and the Faculty of Plant Protection. During the existence of the faculty, the following individuals were elected as deans: V.I. Gusev, M.P. Dyadechko, A.V. Tsilyurik, M.M. Kirik, M.B. Ruban, M.M. Pliska, M.D. Melnichuk, T.V. Novak, M.S. Moroz, Ya.O. Lykar, O.O. Sykalo, N.M. Ridey, M.M. Ladyka, Yu.V. Rybalko, M.M. Dolya. Currently, the faculty is headed by Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Yulia Vasylivna Kolomiyets.


The faculty aims to train highly qualified specialists in plant protection and quarantine, biotechnology, balanced nature management, and phytosanitary and environmental control for eco-safe activities in the industrial, agricultural, and environmental protection sectors.


The faculty organizes the educational and training process for bachelor's degree programs in plant protection and quarantine, biotechnology and bioengineering, Ecology, and Master's degree programs in Plant Protection, Plant Quarantine, Ecological Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Ecology and Environmental Protection, and Ecological Control and Audit.


In its training, the faculty focuses on cooperation with domestic and foreign state and private enterprises: BioNorma Group of Companies, Corteva Agriscience Transnational Corporation, Syngenta AG, Ukravit Agricultural Company; Sinevo Medical Laboratory; BTU Center Trading House LLC; Obolon Open Joint Stock Company; Arterium Corporation, EnviMonitor LLC, Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rusychi Farming Enterprise, Glusco Gas Station, Kyivteploenergo Municipal Enterprise, Energy Waste Incineration Plant, Darnitsa Pharmaceutical Factory.


Joint educational and scientific laboratories allow our students to master the latest technologies in plant cultivation and protection, industrial production of pharmaceutical and food products, and balanced and rational use of natural resources. The faculty maintains close ties with industry and scientific institutions, government agencies: Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine; Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine; State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection; the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, the State Agency for Soil Protection, and has strong international ties with leading universities in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland, the USA, Austria, China, Japan, and others.


In 2010, the faculty launched an international educational and practical course entitled “Radioactivity and Nuclear Energy,” organized jointly by the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology, and Ecology) and Wageningen University (Netherlands). Over the past 12 years, more than 500 students from both universities have participated in the course. Since 2017, as part of a joint Norwegian-Ukrainian project, a training program has been conducted to exchange experience in the field of environmental radioactivity, which is designed to increase interest in the study of radiobiology and radioecology in Ukraine and to ensure the exchange of experience in the training of master's and doctoral students.


There are 15 student research clubs operating at the departments, with over 300 students participating in their work. Students are winners of the second stage of the All-Ukrainian Olympiads in academic disciplines and the second stage of the All-Ukrainian competition of student research papers in specialties.


Every year, the faculty organizes international and national conferences: “Ecology – the Philosophy of Human Existence,” “Current Environmental Problems – a Challenge for Humanity,” “Biotechnology: Achievements and Hopes,” and “Plant Protection and Quarantine: Education, Science, Production.”


The faculty trains PhDs and doctors of science in the educational and scientific programs “Plant Protection and Quarantine,” “Biology,” “Biotechnology of Biological Systems,” and “Ecology.” Up to 40 graduate students and doctoral students are enrolled in the graduate program. The faculty has a specialized academic council for the defense of dissertations for the degree of Doctor (Candidate) of Science in three specialties: 03.00.20 “Biotechnology” (agricultural sciences), 03.00.16 ‘Ecology’ (agricultural sciences), 06.01.11 “Phytopathology” (agricultural sciences). In 2020-2022, 8 candidates of sciences, 7 doctors, and 4 doctors of philosophy defended their dissertations. The faculty coordinates the professional publication of the scientific journal of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine “Biological Systems: Theory and Innovation.”

The areas of scientific research have expanded significantly in recent years and are in line with current global scientific trends:

  • justification of mechanisms for transitioning from traditional production methods to alternative ones with specified parameters of economic efficiency and environmental safety;
  • development of methods for obtaining healthy planting material for agricultural crops using biotechnological techniques, including in vitro cultures;
  • development of resource-saving, bio- and nano-technologies; environmentally safe, rational use of biological resources and production of organic plant products.

Over the past three years, the faculty's scientific and teaching staff have published more than 40 textbooks, manuals, and monographs, as well as more than 100 scientific articles, 83 of which are cited in the Scopus database and 38 in the Web of Science database.