Earth Day: a Beacon of Hope for Ukrainian Students

Every year, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine, (KNU) holds an environmental conference. It brings together the faculty and students of a broad academic community, from undergraduates in physics all the way to English teachers.

This year, the conference — known as Science in My Life — officially partnered with EARTHDAY.ORG, landing on the map as one of many global Earth Day initiatives. It took on the 2026 theme Our Power, Our Planet and involved student presentations devoted to climate-friendly and sustainable technologies and innovations, which stemmed from their education at the university. 

The conference was first started as an initiative for local physics students by Natalia Bilonozhko, an Associate Professor of Philology at the university. In the following years it ended up growing exponentially, including faculty and students from other departments and institutes. 

KNU described the conference’s focus as “formation of an environmentally responsible scientific identity in the face of modern global challenges and uncertainty”, many of which are directly affecting the university during wartime. 

Nadiia Seryogina, Deputy Head of the International Relations Department, opened the conference with a speech describing the importance of preserving the environment and recognizing the various issues surrounding it, especially during wartime, which is uniquely destructive.

She emphasized Earth Day’s significance as not only a symbol, but a reminder of responsibility to the planet in the face of its continued devastation. She also recognized the significance of young scientists, who are next in line to take on the role of its protectors, a sentiment echoed by their actions. 

Throughout the years, the conference and those involved with it chose to persist, despite the many difficulties that were thrown their way — they were even interrupted by air raid alarms and were forced to move to a bomb shelter, which was where they completed the symposium. The conference lasted almost five hours and consisted of non-stop participant engagement, a reflection of the attendants’ devotion to their cause. 

Even through the harrowing threat, the students and faculty demonstrated determination and resilience by continuing their work, which looked to a hopeful future by its emphasis on the development of environmentally conscious benefits to society. 

The students’ presentations included reports on potentially transformative ideas, including prospects of hydrogen as a clean fuel, sustainable transport, and studies on environmental consciousness in young people, amongst many others. 

Maksym Hromov, a physics postgraduate student, described the conference as a pivotal opportunity for those involved, as it builds awareness of global issues, supports presentation and public speaking skills and allows them the ability to study and solve critical environmental challenges. 

Some presentations, he noted, were prepared to an impressive level, and were even advanced enough to serve as foundations for scientific publications. 

The Earth Day movement, driven by EARTHDAY.ORG, extends around the world, connecting all those who are part of the ongoing fight to protect our environment. You can stay updated on related news and events by signing up for our email list, or checking out our socials on X, Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. 

For individual actions you can take, check out our list of 50 Easy Ways to Help the Planet Every Day.