USUST students received the Oleksandr Pol Scholarship

On May 21, 2026, celebrated in Ukraine as Vyshyvanka Day, a ceremonial presentation of the Oleksandr Pol Scholarship of the Mayor of Dnipro took place in Dnipro. This year, 50 outstanding young representatives of the city were awarded this prestigious scholarship, including four students of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies.
 
Established in 2018, the Oleksandr Pol Scholarship aims to support talented, proactive, and socially engaged young people in Dnipro. Over the years, more than 800 young individuals have received this distinction for their contributions to the development of the city, youth and volunteer movements, science, education, culture, and civic engagement.
 
For the first time, the award ceremony was held near the monument to Oleksandr Pol, a prominent public figure and entrepreneur widely recognized as one of the founders of modern Dnipro. The event was organized as part of the celebration of World Vyshyvanka Day and began with a minute of silence to honor the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders.
The following USUST students and cadets became the recipients  of the Oleksandr Pol Scholarship:
  • Valentyn Koliesnikov, a cadet of the Faculty of Military Training of the State Special Transport Service;
  • Margarita Smielova, a third-year student majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology of the SEI  ‘Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology’;
  • Kateryna Kokotkina, a fourth-year student majoring in Event Management at the Faculty of Economics, Humanities and Law of the SEI  ‘Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology’, head of the Faculty Student Press Center;
  • Mariia Verbytska, a fourth-year student majoring in Publishing and Printing at the Faculty of Food and Chemical Technologies of the SEI ‘Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology’.
It is particularly noteworthy that Mariia Verbytska received this award for the second time in recognition of her active contribution to the life of both the city and the university. Mariia serves as the coordinator of the Dnipro Youth Center project ‘History of your city’, conducts guided tours at the university museum, actively participates in research activities, presents at academic round tables, and works in a university laboratory. Among her notable achievements is the development of informational banners featuring QR codes that provide access to the personal stories of Holocaust survivors and witnesses.
 
The certificates were presented by Oleksandr Sanzhara, secretary of the Dnipro City Council. Addressing the award recipients, he emphasized that the scholarship represents not only recognition of their achievements but also encouragement for continued active engagement for the benefit of the community and the country.
In 2026, the scholarship amount for higher education students was set at UAH 14,000. Scholarship recipients are selected twice a year through a competitive process among young people aged 14 to 35, who demonstrate outstanding achievements in civic engagement, volunteering, research, education, and patriotic activities.
 
We sincerely congratulate our students on this well-deserved recognition and wish them continued success, inspiring achievements, and new accomplishments for the benefit of the university, our city, and Ukraine.