On August 9, an expanded meeting was held at the International Scientific Center “Observatory” on Mount Pip Ivan with the participation of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Education and Science Serhiy Babak. The meeting was also attended by Academician Yaroslav Yatskiv – Director of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the NAS of Ukraine, Acting Rector of the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University Ihor Tsependa, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work Yaroslav Shynkaruk, Secretary of the University Supervisory Board Yana Stadilna, Director of the Astronomical Research Station of the MNC “Observatory” Volodymyr Troyanskyi, Coordinator of the Ecological and Meteorological Directions of the MNC, Head of the Department of Biology and Ecology Myroslava Mylenka.
The guests were acquainted with the presentations on the work of the observatory, and inspected the preparatory work for the installation of a modern telescope in a dome with a diameter of 5.5 meters.
As Volodymyr Troyansky noted, the telescope is in the final stages of production, will operate in a fully automated mode and will be available for online observations from anywhere in the world.
He also emphasized the importance of the weather station, which is currently operating in test mode, not only for ecological, but also for astronomical research.
Myroslava Mylenka spoke about the importance of weather monitoring for preserving the biodiversity of the Carpathians, in particular in the highlands, where climate change affects the distribution of species and the number of their populations. Of particular concern is the state of small populations of endangered endemic and narrow-range species that are on the verge of extinction.
Ihor Tsependa reported that the university’s Polish partners have allocated 5 million hryvnias for internships for scientists at the observatory, emphasizing that the main priority remains the scientific component of the center’s activities.
At the end of the meeting, Serhiy Babak recalled that two years ago, the Committee on Education and Science held the highest-altitude meeting of a parliamentary committee on Mount Pip Ivan for the first time in the history of Ukraine, during which an appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was approved regarding financing the completion of the observatory and the installation of a modern telescope. The government recently allocated 50 million hryvnias for these purposes.
“I am sure that science in our country should not just exist, but develop, have a modern infrastructure for research. And our task – mine and the committee’s – is to create the necessary foundation for this,” Serhiy Babak emphasized.