‘Success to the fullest’: the story of Serhii Len

Success always begins with a goal. For Serhii Len, a current bachelor’s student at the SEI ‘Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology’, USUST, the journey started back in his school years.

 

In November 2023, lecturers from the Department of Innovation Engineering of the SEI “USUCT’ visited Dnipro Lyceum No. 97. What seemed like an ordinary off-site open day became a true starting point for Serhii. His chemistry teacher noticed his remarkable interest, and he was given the opportunity to work on a research topic together with the university’s lecturers.

 

Serhii Zybailo, Associate Professor of the department, Candidate of Technical Sciences became Serhii’s mentor. Together, they embarked on a challenging project – the development of a safe battery. The young researcher personally produced electrodes, studied complex chemical processes, and prepared arguments to defend his solutions.

 

Serhii also tested his skills at the first USUST hackathon in 2025. His team, representing Lyceum No. 97 and led by the Head of the Department of Innovation Engineering, Oleh Kabat, was awarded a prize.

 

Another important milestone was Serhii’s participation in the Minor Academy of Sciences project “Chemistry of water: indicators and technologies of quality drinking water”, implemented at the Department of Inorganic Substances Technology and Ecology. First, Serhii won first place at the regional competition, and later he took third place at the national level in Kyiv.

 

But the most important thing is not the awards. This journey has proven that ambitious goals can be achieved if there are mentors by your side and a willingness to work hard.

 

Today, Serhii Len continues his studies and research as a student of USUST. He recognizes real-world problems and seeks ways to solve them – not for formal results, but for the benefit of people.

 

This story is an example of how talented and hardworking young researchers, together with their academic mentors, create the future.  This future begins today.