Lesson 3. Our Alma Mater National Technical University “KhPi”

Active Vocabulary:

respectively – відповідно; outstanding scientist – видатний вчений; to admit – приймати; Academic Council – вчена рада; employee – робітник; design – проектування; to contribute – робити внесок; to appoint – призначати; position – посада; to grant – надавати; recognition – визнання; contribution – внесок; development – розвиток; extramural department – заочне відділення; alumnus (pl. alumni) – випускник; thin film – тонка плівка; strength of materials – опір матеріалів.

The history of National Technical University “KhPI” goes back to the year of 1885. It is that year when Kharkiv Institute of Technology, or KhIT (the original name of our University), was founded. The KhIT was the first technical higher educational institution in the south of the Russian Empire. When the Institute was opened it had only two faculties: mechanical and chemical and 125 students (85 at the mechanical and 40 students at the chemical faculties respectively). The founder and the first director of our Institute was Professor V.L. Kirpichov, an outstanding scientist in the field of mechanics.

By the beginning of the 20^th century the students’ body of the KhIT had already numbered 1,000 students and 250 students were admitted each year. A lot of outstanding scientists whose names are known all over the world worked in KhIT at that time. They were: A.M. Lyapunov, V.A. Steklov, N.N. Beketov, K.A. Zvorikin, N.D. Pilchikov and many others. The Institute also had close contacts with such great world known scientists as D.I. Mendeleyev and N.A. Zhukovsky who were elected Honorary Members of the Academic Council of our Institute in 1904 and in 1911 respectively.

In 1930 five independent higher educational institutions for mechanical engineering, electrical technology, chemical technology, engineering & construction and aviation were set up on the basis of five separate faculties of the institute.

During the years of the World War II over three thousand professors, students and employees of the institute joined the Army. Evacuated to the cities of Krasnoufimsk and Chirchiq, the institute not only continued training engineering staff, but also solved urgent scientific problems related to strengthening the defense of the country (such as contributing to the tank design work led by Alexander Morozov, one of the key experts in the development of T-34 tank).

In 1949 four higher educational establishments, namely the institutes for mechanical engineering, chemical technology, electrical technology and the institute of the cement industry reunited into the V.I. Lenin Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. Professor Mikhail Semko was appointed its rector and stayed at this position for 30 years.

In April 1994 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine granted Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute the university status, so it was renamed to Kharkiv State Polytechnic University (KhSPU).

On the 11^th of September 2000 (two thousand) our Institute was given the name of National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”. The status of “National” is a recognition of our Institute contribution to the development of national higher education, science and economy.

NTU “KhPI” is one of the leading higher educational establishments of Ukraine. It is also one of the largest and oldest not only in our city but in our country as well. There are more than 20 departments training students for more than 90 specialities (at day-time and extramural departments). During its glorious history our Polytechnic has trained more than 130,000 specialists. Among them are such noted alumni and employees as Lev Landau, Soviet physicist, Nobel Prize winner (1962); Nikolay Beketov, Russian physical chemist; Mikhail Gurevich, Soviet aircraft designer; Anton Valter, Soviet nuclear physicist, one of the founders of the Ukrainian Institute of Physics and Technology and many others.

Scientific schools well-known all over Ukraine and the world are developed in the fields of physics of thin films, dynamics and strength of materials, cutting machinery, design and production of turbines etc.

Many University departments cooperate with foreign countries: Germany, Hungary, Austria, France and America in various fields of modern technology and business.

Вправа 1. Дайте відповіді на запитання.

1. When was our university founded? 2. Who was the founder and the first director of our university? 3. What outstanding scientists worked at our university at the beginning of the 20^th century? 4. When was our Institute given the name of National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”? 5. How many departments are there in NTU “KhPI”? 6. What scientific schools are developed in our university? 7. What foreign countries does our University cooperate with?

Вправа 2. Доповніть діалоги, розіграйте їх у парах.

1. – I am going to be a/an ___ – Why? – For a number of reasons. – What reasons? – The main one is ___. – Where are you going to study? – I am going to study ___.

2. – Have you passed your exams? – Yes, it was not very difficult. – It is because you worked ___. – Well, it was all right in ___, but I did not do so well in ___. – And what about your ___? – Not so bad, ___.

Письмове завдання

Вправа 3. Поставте запитання до стверджувальних речень за темою «Наш університет».

1. The history of National Technical University “KhPI” goes back to the year of 1885. 2. A lot of outstanding scientists worked in the KhIT. 3. By the beginning of the 20^th century the students’ body of the KhIT had already numbered 1,000 students. 4. The KhIT was the first technical higher educational institution in the south of Russian Empire. 5. Professor M.F. Semko was appointed the Rector of the Polytechnic Institute. 6. The Institute had close contacts with such great world known scientists as D.I. Mendeleyev and N.A. Zhukovsky.

Вправа 4. Заповніть пропуски у тексті (лист до друга з розповіддю про навчання в НТУ „ХПІ”).

September, ___, 20___

My dear friend ___,

I want to tell you a few words about my university.

I am a first-year student of ___ University. My University is in ___ street / highway next to the ___ Metro station / bus / tram stop. My University is / is not large. There are few / quite a few lecture halls, rooms for studies and laboratories there. Its research laboratories are / are not provided with the most up-to-date equipment. The scientists of our University carry out research in various fields such as ___. There are very many / some / no well-known scientists working at our University.

My major is ___. As a first-year student I am not doing any research yet but I am planning to take part in the research activities of our department next year /in a year / in the third year. I am going to graduate from the University in ___.

Now I live in a hostel quite near to / rather far away from the University. I share the room with first year / graduate students. They are quite / not really friendly. Along with studying I am also interested in ___. We have all the opportunities to train any kind of sports at our sports grounds and special facilities.

I would like to know about your student’s life and your educational establishment.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Love.

Your friend ___.

Читання

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