Yevgen Sokol, an outstanding scientist and educator, longtime head of the National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» (NTU «KhPI»), and currently an advisor to the rector, a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, has been awarded the honorary title of «Honorary Citizen of the City of Kharkiv.» He has become one of nine Kharkiv residents to receive this high honor. The award was presented to Yevgen Sokol by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov during a ceremonial reception marking City Day. For the staff of the National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute,» this is a particularly significant event. Over the course of more than ten years as rector, Yevgen Sokol consistently developed the university, strengthened its scientific and educational potential, expanded international partnerships, supported innovative projects, and created new opportunities for students and young researchers. Under Yevgen Sokol’s leadership, NTU «KhPI» has solidified its position among Ukraine’s leading universities in international rankings and has developed modern educational formats, STEM education, international programs, and innovative projects. Of particular significance are Yevgen Sokol’s efforts to preserve and restore the university amid a full-scale war, support the NTU «KhPI» community, and develop NTU «KhPI» as a modern technical and research university.
Among the «Honorary Citizens of Kharkiv» are military personnel and Heroes of Ukraine, scientists and educators, government officials and heads of institutions, as well as specialists in the fields of social welfare, entrepreneurship, energy, and culture. This year’s honorees are individuals whose courage, professionalism, and dedication contribute to the defense and development of Kharkiv, the strengthening of its reputation, and the shaping of the city’s future.
A significant contribution to the development of Kharkiv and its educational and scientific potential was also made by Professor Yevgen Sokol—a corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a recipient of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, Chair of the Academic Council of the National Technical University “KhPI,” who served as rector of Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute from 2015 to 2026. More than half a century of his professional life has been connected with the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. During this time, he has established himself as a talented scientist, educator, and administrator, earning the respect of colleagues, students, alumni, and the university’s partners in Ukraine and abroad. Yevgen Sokol’s many years of service have become an integral part of the modern history of NTU «KhPI». With his involvement, the university has strengthened its position as a leading technical and research institution in Ukraine, expanded international cooperation, and established itself among the best Ukrainian institutions of higher education. Today, Yevgen Sokol, now serving as Chair of the Academic Council and Advisor to the Rector of NTU «KhPI,» continues to work for the benefit of the university and his native Kharkiv, passing on his experience to the next generation of polytechnic students. The conferral of the title «Honorary Citizen of the City of Kharkiv» was a recognition of his many years of service and his significant contribution to the development of the city, as well as to Ukrainian science and education.
A video of the award ceremony on Kharkiv City Day is available here.
Dear Yevgen Ivanovych!
The thousands of faculty and staff at NTU «KhPI» sincerely congratulate you on being awarded the title of «Honorary Citizen of the City of Kharkiv»!
This high honor is a testament to your dedication to Kharkiv, your alma mater, and the advancement of Ukrainian science and education. Your knowledge, experience, wisdom, integrity, and foresight have become an integral part of NTU «KhPI’s» history and have contributed to its establishment as one of Ukraine’s leading technical universities. For Kharkiv, you are a person who, through your many years of work, has helped strengthen the city’s status as a powerful center of education, science, and innovation. Your professional achievements, organizational talent, and personal qualities have earned you the sincere respect of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute community and the university’s partners. Today, as you continue your work as an advisor to the rector of the National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute,» you remain an active participant in university life and pass on your experience and knowledge to a new generation of specialists.
We sincerely thank you for your many years of fruitful work and your dedication to your hometown and the university. We wish you good health, boundless energy, inspiration, and new professional and personal achievements! May this honorary title serve as a symbol of the gratitude of the people of Kharkiv for your contribution to the city’s development and your service to its future.
Note:
Yevgen Ivanovych Sokol was born in 1952 in the village of Kochetok, Chuguyiv District, Kharkiv Oblast. In 1969, he graduated from high school with a gold medal and enrolled in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. There, he received his bachelor’s degree, began working as an assistant professor, defended his master’s (1979) and doctoral (1994) dissertations, became a professor, headed the Correspondence Division (1988–1994) and the Department of Industrial and Biomedical Electronics (since 1986), and served as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the National Technical University «KhPI» (2000–2015). In 2002, he was elected chair of the Council of Vice Rectors for Scientific and Pedagogical Work in the Kharkiv region and served on the expert council of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for the evaluation of dissertations. In 2012, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and in 2015 (and again in 2020), he was elected Rector of the National Technical University «KhPI.» In 2024, Yevgen Ivanovych Sokol was unanimously elected Chair of the Academic Council of the National Technical University «KhPI.» Sokol’s academic achievements include: the S. O. Lebedev Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2000) and the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology for his work «Creation of Reversible Hydropower Units at the Dniester Pumped-Storage Power Plant to Improve the Efficiency of Ukraine’s Integrated Power System» (2017). He is a member of the Energy Section of the Committee on State Prizes of Ukraine in Science and Technology and a member of the Plenum of this Committee. Professor Sokol serves on the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals. Under his supervision, 3 doctoral and 25 candidate dissertations have been defended. He is the author of over 300 scientific works, including 7 monographs, 5 textbooks and study guides, and more than 30 copyright certificates and patents. As rector of the National Technical University «KhPI» (since April 2015), Professor Sokol has been successfully implementing new approaches to its modernization and development as an innovative, research-oriented, technical university of a new type for over 10 years.
For many years in a row, Kharkiv Polytechnic has been included in and has held leading positions among Ukrainian higher education institutions in the rankings of the world’s best universities: the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. The National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» was also ranked in the first international THE Online Learning Rankings 2024, which evaluates the best online education for students on a global scale. On the initiative of and solely thanks to the efforts of the rector, the Supervisory Board of NTU «KhPI» was established; together with its chairman, Vasyl Khmelnytskyi, the rector led the implementation of the innovative educational program «Innovation Campus,» developed by a team of Ukrainian IT specialists from UNIT Factory in collaboration with Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. Under Rector Y. Sokol’s leadership, STEM education is successfully developing at NTU «KhPI» as a long-term strategy for recruiting students for technical majors. Since 2007, NTU «KhPI» has been a member of the European University Association (EUA), and in 2019, it became the sole representative of Ukrainian higher education institutions at the 14th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF). Professor Yevgen Sokol personally studied cutting-edge trends in educational quality assurance at this forum in order to incorporate them into his work. In 2024, Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, the only Ukrainian institution of higher education to do so, joined the «UNINOVIS Alliance,» an international consortium of leading European universities. This has opened up new opportunities for Kharkiv Polytechnic students to develop international cooperation, improve the quality of education, and increase access to cutting-edge scientific research.
With the support of the rector, the university has created the necessary conditions for research activities by students and faculty, for motivating students and young researchers at the university to engage in scientific and innovative work, for acquiring skills in commercializing ideas and developments, and for developing mechanisms for implementing innovative projects. A cooperation program between NTU «KhPI» and the Chernovetskyi Foundation—the international investment company Chernovetskyi Investment Group (CIG)—and the eō Business Incubators innovation business incubator, which is part of the USAID «Competitive Economy of Ukraine» program, has been successfully implemented. The university administration, led by Professor Yevgen Sokol, devotes constant attention to the development of scientific research. KhPI is one of Ukraine’s leading higher education institutions in terms of the number of projects awarded under the ERASMUS+ K1 International Academic Mobility Program. Together with its international partners, the university implements dual-degree programs.
In 2023, on the initiative of Yevgen Sokol, the «Starry Sky of KhPI» Alumni Association project was launched at NTU «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute». Its objectives include the construction and renovation of academic buildings and facilities damaged by russian bombings, the creation of modern laboratories, the purchase of equipment, and more. Yevgen Sokol leads most of the innovations at one of Ukraine’s oldest technical universities, which will celebrate its 141st anniversary in 2026. Under his leadership, Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (NTU «KhPI») continues to develop within Ukraine’s higher education system, building on a blend of the best traditions and innovations.