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🎓 IT4Teens Webinar Series Successfully Completed and Project Competition Announced

The Department of Information Technologies at Sumy State University has successfully completed the IT4Teens series of free webinars aimed at students of grades 8–11.

Throughout the series, participants had the opportunity to explore modern IT fields and gain practical skills in 3D modeling, game development, and web technologies. The webinars were held online and combined theoretical knowledge with hands-on tasks.

📅 The program included the following sessions:

creating a 3D room design using Blender

modeling and lighting setup in Unreal Engine 5

developing interactive game elements in Unreal Engine 5

building a website “Student Task Planner”

Participation in the webinars allowed students to gain their first experience with modern tools, develop creative thinking, and create their own mini-projects.

As a logical continuation of the training series, the department has announced the IT4Teens Project Competition, providing participants with an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired.

🏆 Competition Categories:

World Builder (UE5) — creation of an interactive game environment

3D Artist (Blender) — project “My 3D Room in Blender”

Web Architect (Web) — development of a functional task planner

⏳ Competition timeline:

until May 3 (inclusive) — submission of projects

May 4–8 — evaluation by the competition committee

Projects will be evaluated based on creativity, quality of implementation, relevance to the topic, and functionality.

🏅 The best projects will be awarded prizes.

Such initiatives contribute to the promotion of IT education among young people, the development of practical digital skills, and help students make informed career choices. The department plans to continue developing similar initiatives aimed at supporting and nurturing future IT professionals.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Українська.

🎓 A series of free IT webinars for school pupils has begun as part of the IT4Teens initiative

The Department of Information Technology at Sumy State University has launched a series of free IT4Teens webinars aimed at pupils in Years 8–11.

The initiative aims to introduce school pupils to current trends in the IT sector, including 3D design, game development and web technologies. Participants have the opportunity to gain practical skills in using the latest tools and to create their own mini-projects.

The first webinar, held on 15 April, focused on working in the Blender environment, where participants designed their own room in 3D.

📅 Schedule of upcoming sessions:

16 April — modelling a house with lighting in Unreal Engine 5

17 April — creating interactive game elements in Unreal Engine 5

21–22 April — developing the ‘School Student’s Task Planner’ website

The sessions are held remotely using the Zoom platform, allowing participants from different regions to join.

Hosting such events is a key part of the department’s career guidance work, as they help school pupils better understand modern IT fields and decide on their future careers. Furthermore, taking part in practical webinars helps develop digital skills, creative thinking and the ability to work independently on projects.

The IT4Teens webinar series is part of the department’s activities aimed at promoting IT education among young people and attracting prospective students to study at the university.

On April 20–26, Sumy State University will host the International Scientific and Technical Conference
“Informatics, Mathematics, Automation IMA::2026”.
🔗 Details: https://elitconf.sumdu.edu.ua/
On April 23–24, the department will hold the section meeting
“Information Technologies of Design”.
Section Chair — V.V. Shendryk; Section Secretary — E.H. Kuznietsov
The sessions will be held online via Google Meet: meet.google.com/wdj-tiuc-kyn
🕐 Start — 1:00 PM
Participants who plan to present should contact the secretary in advance to be included in the program.
Everyone interested is welcome to join.

On March 24, 2026, IT industry expert Illia Prytula delivered an online open lecture for third-year bachelor students of the “Information Technology Design” educational program as part of the “Web Technologies and Web Design” course. The lecture focused on object-oriented programming in JavaScript. Attending the session were the course lecturer, Professor Vira Shendryk, and IT department faculty members, Associate Professor Yuliia Parfenenko and Professor Serhii Tymchuk.

The lecture covered JavaScript objects, their types and usage, inheritance, and static properties and methods. Students also explored code reuse with mixins, working with promises, asynchronous programming using async/await, and the JavaScript event loop.

The session combined theory with practical demonstrations, allowing students to see concepts in action. Participants actively engaged in discussions, asked questions, and examined complex aspects of the topic. The lecture concluded with an open discussion, giving students the opportunity to share their insights.

The IT Department thanks Illia Prytula for his collaboration, support in preparing teaching materials, and contribution to the lecture.

On March 26–27, the international scientific and practical conference SMARTINDUSTRY 2026 “Smart Automation and Robotics for the Industry of the Future” took place at Lviv Polytechnic National University. The event brought together scientists, engineers, and business representatives to discuss current challenges and prospects of modern industry.

Representatives of the Department of Information Technologies of Sumy State University joined the conference and actively participated in professional discussions and knowledge exchange: Yana CHIBYRYAK, PhD, Associate Professor, and Evgeny LAVROV, Doctor of Engineering, Professor.

During the event, participants focused on the implementation of artificial intelligence, robotics, and intelligent systems in industry. Particular attention was paid to the following areas:

• automation of production processes,
• application of AI and machine learning in robotics,
• development of smart enterprises,
• cybersecurity of industrial systems.

As part of the conference, an exhibition of innovative developments was also held, showcasing modern solutions in computer vision, industrial automation, and IT.

Participation in such international events contributes to the development of the department`s and university’s scientific potential, expansion of professional networks, and integration into the global academic community.

We sincerely thank the organizers for the high level of the conference and the opportunity to join discussions on current technological trends.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Українська.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Українська.

ALMEX: New Approaches to Engaging Alumni in University Development

How can alumni remain more than just contacts in a database and instead become active contributors to the development of their university? This question was at the heart of a study visit within the framework of the international project ALMEX – Alumni Management Excellence: Building University Capacity for Sustainable Graduate Engagement.

The project aims to help universities build systematic and long-term engagement with alumni by integrating them into key areas of institutional development — from educational and career initiatives to innovation and partnership activities. It is about moving beyond formal communication toward creating an active alumni community that becomes a full-fledged part of university life. 

From March 16 to 20, 2026, delegations from partner universities, including Sumy State University, visited Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands), where they explored European approaches to building sustainable and structured alumni engagement.

The SumDU delegation included Head of the Information Technologies Department, PhD in Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Anna Nenia; Head of the International Cooperation Office, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences Alla Krasulia; Head of General Administrative Support and International Protocol Group Iryna Slabko; and Head of the Practice and Employer Relations Department, PhD in Technical Sciences Alyona Yevdokymova.

Together with project partners — Ukrainian Catholic University, University of Alicante, Zaporizhzhia National University, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw School of Economics, and the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance — participants examined how Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam develops effective alumni engagement models, from maintaining communication to actively involving graduates in educational, innovation, and entrepreneurial initiatives.

The program combined strategic discussions with practical experience. Participants explored the work of units responsible for communications and fundraising, visited innovative spaces such as VU StartHub, the Entrepreneurship Center, and The Demonstrator Lab, and focused on digital tools for alumni engagement, relationship management, and data protection.

An important part of the visit was a roundtable held on March 18, 2026, at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the support of the Ukrainian Institute in the Netherlands. The event brought together representatives of universities, diplomatic institutions, and the Ukrainian diaspora.

The discussion focused on the role of Ukrainian alumni abroad in the development of higher education in Ukraine — their involvement in supporting universities, mentoring, expanding professional networks, and promoting Ukrainian education internationally. Special attention was given to the idea of creating a global community of Ukrainian university alumni as a platform for long-term cooperation and new partnerships.

The study visit became an important milestone for the ALMEX consortium, enabling participants not only to learn from European experience but also to shape a practical vision for alumni community development. For SumDU, this is a step toward strengthening alumni engagement and building an open, active community that contributes to university development. This experience is particularly valuable for the Department of Information Technologies, as it opens new opportunities for collaboration with alumni, their involvement in the educational process, and the implementation of joint IT initiatives.

On March 27, an Open Day was held at Sumy State University 🎓

Prospective applicants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the university, communicate with students, and receive answers to актуальні questions about admission and studying.

Throughout the event, there was active communication: students shared their personal admission experiences, spoke about the особенності of the educational process, student life, and the opportunities the university offers.

Participants were able to ask questions about the difficulty of courses, the format of studies, and the overall atmosphere at the university, receiving honest and open answers 💬

The event was also attended by the Head of the Department, Anna Nenia, who presented the department’s specialties, explained the academic training, and outlined career prospects after graduation.

The event took place in an open and friendly atmosphere and became a great opportunity for future students to get to know the university better.

We thank everyone who joined and look forward to seeing you at Sumy State University, at the Department of Information Technologies 💙