From February to April 2026, Illia Shatkovskyi, a student of group KhTI-25-1 from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, took part in the international student research paper competition “Black Sea Science”. The International Student Research Paper Competition is held annually at Odesa National University of Technology under the auspices of the Black Sea Universities Network and the ISEKI-Food Association. The purpose of the “Black Sea Science” competition is to expand international cooperation, stimulate students’ scientific work, engage students in scientific programmes, project-based activities, design engineering, and other forms of research activity.
In the first stage of the competition, 455 research papers were submitted by Ukrainian and international higher education institutions from various countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, India, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Algeria, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Students’ research papers were presented in the following fields: food science and technology, economics and management, information technology, automation and robotics, energy and energy efficiency, ecology and environmental protection, tourism, and hotel and restaurant business.
During the first stage of the international competition, the submitted research papers were reviewed and discussed by a distinguished panel of judges. In 2026, the participants’ papers were evaluated by 162 academic experts from various countries, including the USA, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Oman, Turkey, Angola, Benin, China, Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, and Greece. The largest number of research papers was submitted in the field of ecology and environmental protection.
Finalists in each field were selected according to the ranking results and invited to participate in the second stage of the competition. Among the finalists in the field of ecology and environmental protection was the research paper by Illia Shatkovskyi, a student of group KhTI-25-1 from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, supervised by Professor Olha Paraska and lecturer Vita Nehorui. The title of the research paper was: “Green approaches to antimicrobial treatment of textiles for military and civil applications.” The study examined the prospects for using natural antimicrobial agents in technologies aimed at imparting functional properties to textile materials for military and civilian applications. The main classes of biologically active plant-derived compounds demonstrating pronounced bactericidal and fungicidal properties were identified and systematised. The advantages of natural antimicrobial agents in textile finishing technologies were highlighted, including biodegradability, low toxicity, environmental safety, and a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, all of which meet the principles of green chemistry and sustainable development.
On 14–15 April 2026, the second stage—the competition final—was held. Finalists presented their research papers in English within their respective fields.
Based on the participants’ presentations and reports, the jury selected the winners and awarded the prize places. We are proud of the achievements of the students of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and warmly congratulate Illia Shatkovskyi, student of group KhTI-25-1, and his academic supervisors, Olha Paraska and Vita Nehorui, on winning first place in the field of ecology and environmental protection. All participants and academic supervisors will receive certificates, and the winning papers will be published in the proceedings of the international student research paper competition “Black Sea Science”.
We sincerely thank the organisers and the jury team for annually conducting the international student research paper competition “Black Sea Science” at such a high level and for motivating students to pursue scientific research. More information about the international competition is available on the organisers’ website: http://isc.ontu.edu.ua/2026-2/