On April 4, 2025, the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference “Topical Issues of Modern Design”, dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the University’s founding, was held at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design. The event was organized by the Faculty of Design and brought together renowned researchers, practicing designers, art historians, and leading experts from various fields of design representing Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Poland, Moldova, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Romania, and other countries worldwide.
The conference was held in a hybrid format at the initiative of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the Union of Designers of Ukraine, with the participation of representatives of the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media CUMULUS, and the European League of Institutions of the Arts (ELIA).
The conference was attended by representatives of more than 70 educational institutions and organizations from Ukraine and more than 15 countries around the world: Vienna University of Technology (Austria), Latvian Academy of Arts (Latvia), Baltic International Academy (Latvia), Klaipeda University (Lithuania), Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), Domus Academy (Italy), Dresden Technical University (Germany), Sultan Idriss University of Education (Malaysia), Texas State University (USA), Technical University of Moldova (Moldova), Institute of Cultural Heritage (Moldova), State Pedagogical University named after I. Criange (Moldova), University of National Education Commission (Poland), Kielce University of Technology (Poland), WSB Merito University in Gdansk (Poland), Qilu University of Technology (China), Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (China), Beijing University of Technology and Business (China), Xi'an Polytechnic University (China), Taiyuan Institute of Technology (China), Zhejiang Wanli University (China), Hunan University of Technology (China), G. Asaki Technical University in Iasi (Romania), University of Arts named after George Enescu (Romania), National Research Institute of Textiles and Leather (INCDTP) (Romania) and others.
The event was moderated by Kalyna Pashkevych, Doctor of Engeneering, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Design of KNUTD.
Rector of KNUTD Ivan Gryshchenko, Doctor of Science in Economics, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, addressed the participants of the plenary session of the conference with a welcoming speech. In his speech, Ivan Mykhailovych spoke about the achievements of the Faculty of Design, about the prospects for the development of art and design directions at KNUTD, acquainted the guests of the conference with the structure of the University, the Faculty of Design, especially emphasizing that today KNUTD is a flagship in the training of designers, which is confirmed by the recognition of the University in world rankings, participation in international art and design associations and a large number of students who are currently studying at the Faculty of Design, including more than 500 students from China and other countries around the world.
In the presidium of the plenary session of the conference, an honorable place was taken by Liudmyla Hanushchak-Yefimenko, Doctor of Science in Economics, Professor, Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation of KNUTD, Oleksandr Kashchenko, Doctor of Engeneering, Professor, Member of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Inna Yakovets, Doctor of Art History, Professor, Member of the Union of Designers of Ukraine, Head of the Department of Design of Cherkasy State University of Technology.
With sincere wishes for fruitful work, the leaders of Qilu University of Technology from China addressed the conference participants in a video greeting: Chen Guoxing – Secretary, Chu Fuqiang – Director, Fang Zeqing – Deputy Director of Qilu University of Technology.
Warm words of welcome were expressed by Lorenzo Imbesi, President of the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media CUMULUS, Professor, La Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
In 2024, KNUTD received membership in the European League of Institutions of the Arts (ELIA). Uliana Furiv, manager of the UAx platform of ELIA, sent words of welcome to the conference participants. In her speech, Ms. Furiv spoke about the opportunities that the UAx platform provides for Ukrainian students and about ELIA’s activities to support art institutions from Ukraine.
With the support of the UAx platform of the European League of Institutions of the Arts (ELIA), the Faculty of Design of KNUTD received in 2025-2026 the opportunity to cooperate with sister school – the Oslo National Academy of the Arts (Norway) to train students in the field of design. Warm greetings to the conference participants were conveyed by colleagues from Norway: Marianne Skulhaug – Rector, Andreas Berg – Professor of the Department of Design, Frederik Staum Floen – Lecturer at the Department of Fashion and Costume Design.
Cosette Joiner Martinez, PhD, Associate Professor of Texas State University (USA) made an informative presentation about the results of the joint project of KNUTD with educational institutions in the USA and Saudi Arabia – the academic international online mobility project under the “Collaborative Online International Learning” program “FASHION FOR A GOOD LIFE”, which was successfully implemented in 2024.
Close cooperation links the Faculty of Design of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD) with the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media at Birmingham City University (Birmingham, United Kingdom). Faculty members and students from KNUTD’s Faculty of Design have repeatedly participated in academic mobility programs at this institution under the ERASMUS+ initiative.
As part of the conference proceedings, Nataliya Rozhyn, a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media of Birmingham City University, extended her warm greetings and best wishes to the conference participants.
On behalf of Polish colleagues from Krakow, Katarzyna Wojdyla – Dr. Hab., Head of the Department of Visual Communication, University of the National Education Commission (UKEN) (Poland) delivered a welcoming speech. Close cooperation with colleagues is carried out within the framework of the Three Seas Initiative Cultural Cooperation Network (3SICCN) project. Ms. Katarzyna spoke about the results of the participation of lecturers and students of the Faculty of Design of KNUTD in the international project “Post-Poster? Between Art and Methodology” and in the annual event “Poster Challenge”, which lasted three weeks and was open to students of both Polish and international universities, organized by the Department of Visual Communication of the Institute of Art and Design, University of the National Education Commission.
A report “Possibilities of using modern artificial intelligence programs in design” was delivered by Kateryna Krichlow, an invited lecturer at Birmingham City University (Birmingham, United Kingdom).
Partners from Moldova took part in the conference: the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design of Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University of Chișinău and the Faculty of Design of the Technical University of Moldova. Sergiy Tronchiu, Doctor of Architecture, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Design of the Technical University of Moldova, delivered a welcoming speech. He expressed his gratitude for the long-standing cooperation and for the opportunity provided to Moldovan students to participate in the International Competition of Young Designers “Pecherski Kashtany” and the International Competition “Suziria ‘Kashtan’”, organized by KNUTD. He also extended an invitation to take part in creative events hosted by their institution.
Oleksandr Kashchenko, Doctor of Engeneering, Professor, Member of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the KNUCA, conveyed sincere greetings to the participants of the conference and the staff of the KNUTD on behalf of the Rector of the KNUCA, Oleksiy Dniprov, Doctor of Law, and from the staff of the Faculty of Architecture.
Inna Yakovets, Doctor of Art History, Professor, Head of the Department of Design of Cherkasy State Technological University, addressed the participants of the conference present in the hall and in the online format with words of greeting and wished that peace would come to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Olena Chepeliuk, Doctor of Engeneering, Professor, Laureate of the National Prize named after Borys Paton, Rector of Kherson National Technical University, mentioned artificial intelligence in her speech, which is no longer only a tool in the hands of a designer, but also changes the very essence of creative thinking. She noted that currently there is a parallel development of various design concepts – from traditional to digital, and a new multi-sensory approach to design is being formed, and it is good that the understanding of these processes and the synthesis of new creative ideas are taking place at the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Topical Issues of Modern Design".
Colleagues from many higher education institutions from different cities of Ukraine took part in the conference: Kyiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, etc., who prepared more than 300 papers for the conference: Nataliia Danylchenko, senior lecturer at the Admiral Makarov National Shipbuilding University (Mykolaiv); Elvira Bazyliuk, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Design and Svitlana Kuleshova, Doctor of Engeneering, Professor, Head of the Department of Technologies and Design of Garments at Khmelnytskyi National University (Khmelnytskyi); Lyubov Kotliar, Head of the Kyiv organization of the National Union of Photo Artists of Ukraine; Nadiia Vedmid – Doctor of Sciences in Economics, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Technologies and Business of the State University of Trade and Economics; Andriy Sydorenko – Scientific Secretary of the Institute of Problems of Contemporary Art of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine; Sviatoslav Berdynskykh, PhD in Art History, Associate Professor, Head of the Design Department of the University of Economics and Law “Krok”; Natalia Udris-Borodavko, PhD in Sociology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department and Oksana Chuyeva, PhD in Art History, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Graphic Design of Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts; Halyna Ripka, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department and Yevhen Maznev, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Light Industry Technologies of Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University; Leonid Bernat, artist, lecturer at the Department of Fine Arts of B. Grinchenko Kyiv University; Kateryna Sanina, business trainer for designers and decorators; Serhiy Komisarov, member of the National Union of Journalists, Honored Journalist of Ukraine, co-founder of the International Art Association “Return Alive!”; Alla Horbunova, Director of the Charitable Foundation “Sunflower”; Iryna Dovzhenko, senior lecturer at I.K. Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television, and others.
On the same day, meetings of six platforms of the conference were held, in which participants from different countries around the world took part – researchers, artists, undergraduate and postgraduate students. There was an exchange of experience and results of scientific research on current problems of design of artists, designers, scientists in the field of design and artistic specialties of Ukraine, other countries of Europe and the world.
Platform 1 "Artistic and Cultural Factors of Design" (moderator – Tetiana Krotova, Doctor of Art History, Professor; secretary – Anastasiia Yukhymchuk, PhD student).
Platform 2 “Trends in the Development of Art and Fashion Design” (moderator – Natalia Chuprina, Doctor of Art History, Professor; secretary – Olesia Skaskiv, PhD student).
Platform 3 “Information Technologies of Visualization in Design” (moderator – Olena Vasylieva, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor; secretary – Marharyta Ivanova, Assistant Professor).
Platform 4 “Graphic Design in a Multicultural Space” (moderator – Ruslana Bezuhla, Doctor of Art History, Professor; secretary – Yelyzaveta Derevianko, PhD student).
Platform 5 “Prospects for the Development of Architectural Environment Design” (moderator – Danylo Kosenko, Candidate of Art History, Associate Professor; secretary – Natalia Ryshkevych, PhD student).
Platform 6 “Entrepreneurial and Educational Aspects of Design Activities” (moderator – Olha Yezhova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor; secretary – Nadiia Luklian, PhD student).
The executive secretary of the conference Ruslana Khynevych, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Multimedia Design, the secretaries of the conference platforms, postgraduate students of the Faculty of Design, as well as the student self-government of the Faculty of Design headed by Victoria Stepanets and Daria Karpenko provided organizational support for the conference.
The exhibition of artistic works was prepared by lecturers of the Faculty of Design of KNUTD Yevhen Gula, Mykhailo Rudenko, Oleksandr Krotevych, Anatoly Shapoval, Swiatoslaw Podlewsky, Oksana Maznichenko, Alla Osadcha and other talented artists.
Despite the challenging times for Ukrainian art and science due to the ongoing war, the team of the Faculty of Design at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD), in collaboration with foreign partners and Ukrainian colleagues, successfully held the conference at a high professional level in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The relevance of the topics addressed during the conference across various fields of design is evidenced by the wide geographical representation of participants, the diversity of presentation themes, and the active involvement of a broad spectrum of representatives from the fields of science and art.
We express our sincere gratitude to the moderators, speakers, and all participants for their valuable contributions to the event, and we warmly invite you to join us at the upcoming VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for making it possible to hold such conferences, educate the younger generation, and carry out research in the fields of culture and art – vital efforts for the restoration and development of our nation.
07.04.2025
