Educators and researchers report systemic violations of their rights as a result of several recent initiatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES), supported by the government. According to them, the changes threaten to increase the shortage of professional staff in technical and engineering fields.
“Postgraduates, higher education institutions in court proceedings, are forced to defend their legal and constitutional rights and freedoms, due to another attempt by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to reorganize educational processes and educational institutions, to reduce the number of universities and to introduce additional control measures not provided for by the laws and the Constitution of Ukraine, which leads to violations of the constitutional rights and freedoms of educators, scientists, children and youth, in that part which cannot be restricted during the legal regime of martial law, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine,” said postgraduate student, head of the charitable organization “Charitable Foundation ‘Change Our Lives’” Roman Serhiyenko at a press conference at the “Interfax-Ukraine” agency.
According to Serhiyenko, the adopted Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 426 of April 8 gave MES the right to amend the procedure for training applicants for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Sciences. This creates grounds for the expulsion of postgraduate students even if they successfully fulfill their educational and research requirements.
“According to the response letters of MES No.1/8845-24 dated 20.05.2024 and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine No.81631/C – 18859/7.2.4 dated 31.05.2024, these initiatives did not undergo legal and anti-discrimination examination of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and were returned by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to MES, as indicated in the response to the lawyer’s request No.1/16685-24 dated 13.09.2024, signed by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Mr. Vynnytskyi,” – the Serhiyenko press release states.
In addition to educators, members of parliament also opposed the reorganization, organizing the collection of signatures under a collective appeal to the Prime Minister demanding the cancellation of “changes aimed at depriving citizens of Ukraine of their constitutional rights and freedoms.”
The participants of the event called to:
ban the reorganization and liquidation of educational institutions for at least three years after the end of the war/martial law;
ban the transfer of educational institutions for lease as a single property complex;
ban the sale of property of educational institutions;
change the conditions of the competition for the position of head of an educational institution and limit the term of holding the position.
The press conference was also attended by: head of the Council of Higher Education Applicants, Doctor of Philosophy of NTU “Dnipro Polytechnic” Yelyzaveta Bodriaho; teacher of professional-theoretical training of the State Vocational School “Higher Vocational School No.8 in Stryi” Anatolii Kryvosheiev; head of the legal department of Tavria National University named after V. I. Vernadskyi, Vadym Rykov.
South African businessman Errol Musk, father of billionaire Elon Musk, made an exploratory visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, assessing the region’s potential for establishing an Institute for Gravitational and Space-Time Research, which would focus on gravity, space-time, terraforming, and longevity, Reuters reports.
Musk had previously considered Dubai as a potential location but abandoned the idea after friends from the Balkans persuaded him to personally evaluate the potential of Serbia and Bosnia.
He stated that he was pleasantly surprised by the level of infrastructure, business environment, and accessibility, noting: “the economy, the behavior of people… it’s idyllic.”
Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented him with an educated workforce and economic potential and offered facilities for the future institute.
Errol Musk visited Serbia and Austria as part of a preliminary regional assessment and expressed confidence that the Balkans represent a more economical and efficient solution than Dubai.
Musk envisions the institute as a privately-run platform, independent of governments, attracting professionals “not under ideological pressure” and interested in radical scientific research. The proposed research areas include gravity, space-time, nuclear fusion, and longevity — topics that go beyond conventional academic science.
Although no final decision has been made, Bosnia and Serbia are being considered by Errol Musk as more cost-effective locations with better human resources than the alternatives.
In the winter of 2025, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presented the results of the first large-scale study (phase I/II) of zimislecel (formerly VX-880), a stem cell-based drug. This experimental treatment aims to restore the cells of the islets of Langerhans in the liver of patients.
The trial involved 14 patients with severe type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia detection disorders. All participants received a single infusion of zimislecel into the hepatic vein and initial immunosuppressive therapy without glucocorticoids. According to data from one year, 10 out of 12 completely stopped insulin injections, becoming insulin-independent, while the remaining two patients reduced their insulin dose by 92% on average. All participants normalized their HbA1c levels (<7%) and spent more than 70% of their time in the glycemic range of 70-180 mg/dL.
Side effects:
• Neutropenia was observed in 3 patients;
• Two fatalities were recorded: one from cryptococcal meningitis (off-protocol), the other from severe cognitive pathology unrelated to treatment.
The discontinuation of insulin therapy in 83% of participants is a very significant achievement, indicating the possibility of restoring endogenous insulin secretion. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) called the data “unprecedented” after three stages of presentation at the ADA-2025 conference in Chicago.
However, it should be noted that the study was small (12–14 participants) and short (12 months); large-scale control experience is needed. Data on long-term efficacy, safety, and commercial affordability are not yet known.
Phase III has now begun, with approximately 50 patients expected to participate. The next results are expected at the end of the year, after which the FDA application process will begin.
The drug is positioned as a breakthrough “functional remission” for a group of patients with severe diabetes and a tendency to hypoglycemic events. If its effectiveness is fully confirmed, it will be a global revolution in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
During the last two months a series of scientific and practical seminars-tastings of vintage drinks of 20-80 years old were held on the basis of Analytical center “Club of experts” with the assistance of a public association “Ukrsadvindindprom” and Charity fund “Reconstruction and development of Ukraine”. Representatives of Ukrainian wine industry, retail, mass media and other experts took part in these seminars.
All in all, participants of the workshops got acquainted with more than 40 kinds of vintage alcohol, produced in Ukraine and European countries in the second half of the last century. The total age of the drinks exceeds 3000 years.
In particular, such famous Ukrainian collection brands, as “Massandra sherry” from the 1980s and “Black Doctor” from 2007 were presented at the conferences. Among the European alcoholic brands the participants distinguished a rare sherry brandy “Hispano” 1870 (!), another Spanish drink “Ponche Rives” 1978, vermouth “Marsala” 1950-ies and other drinks. All in all 15 different vintage drinks were evaluated by the participants.
According to the words of the expert-collector of vintage alcoholic drinks Igor Magalas, the cost of the majority of samples which were presented at the seminars does not exceed the prices of similar drinks on supermarket shelves. At the same time, the taste and eco-friendliness of vintage drinks are an order of magnitude superior to many modern brands.
“The thing is that the automation of alcohol production lines, which became widespread at the end of the last century, led to a natural decline in quality for the sake of quantity. More than once I faced situations when at closed tastings sommelier experts preferred lower class vintage alcohol produced in the 1960s-1970s to modern expensive brands bottled in the 2000s-2010s,” Magalyas noted.
According to the expert, the reason for this is not the number of years the drink has been in the bottle, but the technological process of production at the initial stages, which largely affects the bouquet and taste of any alcohol.
Maxim Urakin, the organizer of the series of seminars, in turn, expressed hope for the further development of the vintage drinks market in Ukraine and for promotion of the culture of their consumption in the new year 2023.
“We will continue the promotion of vintage alcohol in the Ukrainian market. In Europe this product has a wide consumer audience for a long time, while in our country it is still considered “elite” and unavailable, although in my opinion it is a delusion. Therefore, the main purpose of our seminars, to make vintage alcohol more accessible to Ukrainians” – he stressed.
Vintage (molesim) in wine-making means the year of ripening of a certain grape variety which is used to produce wine, brandy, cognac or other vintage-based drinks. This indicator is important in determining the characteristics of the drink because weather and climatic conditions change every season, which may affect both positive and negative effects on the organoleptic characteristics of beverages of the same brand.
The Club of Experts is Kiev analytical center, which is engaged in researches in the field of economics, sociology and other scientific disciplines. In particular, with the assistance of the Club of experts during the last year there were held several events for the promotion of the national winemaking products.
Public Union “Ukrsadvindindprom” was a partner of the seminar and tasting. “Ukrsadvindwinprom” unites about 200 producers of fruits, berries, nuts and grapes, enterprises that process fruits and berries and produce wine, as well as scientific institutions for implementation of new scientific approaches in production.
The “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” Charitable Foundation has been providing extensive volunteer support to the army and civilians since the war began. In particular, with the support of KNUSA Rector Petr Kulikov, the foundation donated a modern mobile hospital for the needs of the military.
CLUB_EXPERTS, CONFERENCE, SCIENCE, UKRSADVINPROM, URAKIN, VINTAGE_WINE, WINE, WINEMAKING
On Saturday, November 7, on the basis of the analytical center “Experts Club” with the assistance of the public association “Ukrsadvinprom” and the charitable foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine”, the second scientific and practical seminar-tasting of vintage drinks aged from 20 to 80 years was held. The seminar was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian wine industry, retail, media, and other experts.
At the seminar, Igor Magalyas, an expert collector of vintage alcoholic beverages, introduced the participants to the most popular varieties of Ukrainian and European vintage wines, brandy and other drinks aged up to 80 years. Ukrainian products were presented at the conference by such brands as Sherry Massandra 1983 and Black Doctor 2007. Of the foreign alcoholic brands, Curasao liqueur from the 1950s, the rare sherry brandy Hispano from 1870 and another Spanish drink Ponche Rives from 1978 received the highest ratings from the participants. In total, the participants of the seminar evaluated 15 different vintage drinks.
According to Igor Magalyas, all products presented at the seminar are in the budget price segment and their cost does not exceed the cost of modern branded alcohol on the shelves of Ukrainian supermarkets.
“Most of the drinks presented here were purchased by collectors in Europe at auctions or at sales of private collections. At the same time, they have a number of taste and quality advantages over more modern drinks that can be freely bought at retail outlets, even if it is the same brand,” he said.
According to the expert, the fact is that in the 80-90s of the last century, the automation of alcohol production, introduced in order to increase the volume of products sold, had a negative impact on the quality of wine and distilled drinks.
“In particular, in my opinion, the ability of the same brandies to improve their palatability as they age after bottling was practically lost. In other words, if we open a bottle of good brandy from 1970 today, then such a drink will have a much richer flavor bouquet than if we opened a bottle of the same brandy 30 years later, but, say, 2020 bottling,” Igor explained Magalyas.
The organizer of the seminar Maxim Urakin, in turn, emphasized the importance of developing the vintage drinks market in Ukraine and popularizing the culture of drinking them.
“Each bottle of such wine or brandy has its own history; it is a rather rare, almost unique product, but at the same time it is quite affordable and popular in Europe. If we add up the age of drinks at today’s tasting, we get an impressive figure of more than 700 years of the total age of drinks, which also makes our event unique,” he stressed.
Vintage (milezim) – in winemaking means the year of ripening of the harvest of a certain grape variety from which wine, brandy, cognac or other drink based on it is produced. This indicator is important in determining the characteristics of the drink, since weather and climate conditions change every season, which can both positively and negatively affect the organoleptic characteristics of drinks of the same brand.
“Experts Club” is an analytical center engaged in research in the field of economics, sociology and other scientific disciplines. In particular, with the assistance of the Club of Experts, several events were held last year to promote domestic winemaking products.
Public Union “Ukrsadvinprom” acted as a partner of the seminar and tasting. “Ukrsadvinprom” unites about 200 producers of fruits, berries, nuts and grapes, enterprises engaged in the processing of fruits and berries, wine production, as well as scientific institutions for the introduction of new scientific approaches to production.
Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” carries out extensive volunteer activities. In particular, with the support of the rector of KNUCA (KNUBA) Petr Kulikov, the fund will soon hand over a modern mobile hospital. The head of the fund is Artem Goncharenko.
Organizers will send part of the proceeds from the event to purchase a mobile hospital.
CHARITY, CONFERENCE, EXPERT_CLUB, SCIENCE, UKRSADVINPROM, VINTAGE_WINE, WINE, WINEMAKING, АРТЕМ ГОНЧАРЕНКО
On the 28th of October the scientific and practical seminar on “Vintage (molesime) wines and cognacs” was held in Kiev analytical center “Club of experts” with the assistance of the public association “Association of gardeners, winegrowers and winemakers of Ukraine” (“Ukrsadvynprom”) and with the participation of an expert collector of vintage alcoholic beverages Igor Magalyas.
There were 17 kinds of wine drinks, produced in Ukraine and Europe, aged up to 80 years. During the tasting the expert group evaluated the individual qualities of drinks with different ageing and determined their organoleptic characteristics.
According to Maxim Urakin, the organizer of the conference, in the future holding of such events will help to develop the market of vintage beverages in Ukraine and increase the export potential of domestic producers.
“At the moment vintage wines and cognacs are considered elite and unattainable for the average buyer. In reality this is not the case. In EU countries this category of drinks is available for all segments of the population and their prices are not much higher than the average price for ordinary wine on the supermarket shelves”, he said.
Co-organizer of the conference, wine expert Igor Magalyas stressed the importance of popularization of Ukrainian brands of vintage beverages in Europe.
“The market of vintage wines and cognacs in the European Union is quite extensive. The main exporters of such products are Italy, Spain and France. Ukraine has no less potential in this direction,” Magalyas emphasized.
Vintage (molesim) in wine-making means a year of vintage of a certain type of grapes, from which wine, cognac or other drink on its basis is produced. This indicator is important in determining the characteristics of the drink because weather and climatic conditions change every season, which can both positively and negatively affect the organoleptic characteristics of beverages of the same brand.
The Club of Experts is Kiev analytical center, which is engaged in researches in the field of economics, sociology and other scientific disciplines. In particular, with the assistance of the Club of experts during the last year there were held several events for the promotion of the national winemaking products.
Public Union “Ukrsadvindindprom” was a partner of the seminar and tasting. “Ukrsadvindwinprom” unites about 200 producers of fruits, berries, nuts and grapes, enterprises that process fruits and berries and produce wine, as well as scientific institutions for implementation of new scientific approaches in production.
CLUB OF EXPERTS, CONFERENCE, SCIENCE, UKRSADVINPROM, URAKIN, vintage wine, WINE, WINEMAKING, Магаляс
