“Physics and Technology School is about People”: Karazin University Staff Continue Working Despite Destruction

The news outlet Status Quo has published an extensive report on the current state of one of Karazin University’s units — the Education and Research Institute “School of Physics and Technology.” The story is about resilience, science under shelling, and a shift in priorities where people matter more than buildings.

Journalists visited Piatykhatky, a district that has become one of the defensive strongholds of Kharkiv. Today, the physics and technology faculty building stands empty: without a roof, with collapsed walls and shattered windows following direct hits. Yet despite the physical destruction of the building, the institute continues to live.

The administration and laboratories are now dispersed across Kharkiv to ensure safety and continuity of research. In these difficult conditions, scientists continue to develop nuclear medicine, quantum technologies, and participate in international scientific projects. One of the current examples of such activity is involvement in the Eurofusion project on thermonuclear fusion.

The article highlights the stories of institute staff: Director Pylyp Kuznetsov, who together with the team is working on the institute’s development strategy; Professor Valeriia Trusova, whose laboratory was destroyed on the second day of the invasion; and first-year student Oleh Hladkov, who chose to study in his hometown instead of pursuing a career in Europe.

“Optimists believe that things will work out, and therefore they act. Pessimists know that nothing will work out, and therefore they do not even try. That is why all achievements of humanity belong to the former,” says Pylyp Kuznetsov in the interview. This is why this material testifies that a university is not only infrastructure but primarily intellectual capital and a strong community.

Read the full article on the Status Quo website: link.

Karazin scientists and their colleagues demonstrate to the world that science does not pause, even in times of war.