26 veterans enrolled at Metinvest Polytechnic this year

Among the new students are defenders of Mariupol and military personnel from various units

Metinvest Polytechnic, Ukraine’s first private iron and steel university, has begun its fourth academic year. This year, more than 150 future bachelors and masters chose to study there, and for the first time, 94 professional junior bachelors. Among the new students are 26 war veterans, including defenders of Mariupol and employees of Metinvest enterprises, according to the company’s statement.

In total, more than 600 students are currently enrolled at the university, including 52 veterans. For them, getting an education is not only a new profession, but also an important step in returning to civilian life. This year, four defenders of Mariupol who survived captivity joined the university: National Guard members Dmytro Klantsaty and Vitaliy Andrushchenko, and marines Oleksandr Pankiv and Kostyantyn Ivanov. They chose fields ranging from computer science to business management within the framework of the Azovstal Heart Foundation’s Future program.

Among the applicants is Volodymyr Tyschenko, a marine veteran and employee of Zaporizhstal. After being wounded and demobilized, he decided to continue his studies in the Ferrous Metallurgy program. Another story is that of Vladimir Zolotaryov, who combined his service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine with his studies at Metinvest Polytechnic and has now enrolled in a master’s program in mining.

University Rector Oleksandr Povazhny emphasizes that the main goal of the university is to combine modern educational programs with the needs of industry and create conditions for student development. In its three years of existence, the university has accepted more than 1,330 students, and 267 graduates have already received master’s degrees and are working at Metinvest enterprises.

It should be noted that Metinvest Polytechnic students will be able to obtain double degrees with Dnipro Polytechnic – the universities are developing a joint program for this purpose. The country’s technical universities need to cooperate and create synergy. To this end, the university has signed memoranda with Kyiv Polytechnic and Dnipro Polytechnic.

Metinvest Polytechnic was founded by the Metinvest Group in 2020. The university offers technical specialties that are relevant to the country’s reconstruction and provides students not only with knowledge, but also with practical experience in production, scholarships, internships, and their first jobs.