Popularizing science is a real challenge - Education Dpty Minister Kurbatov
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denys Kurbatov states that the popularization of science is a genuine challenge for the Ministry of Education, which has not yet managed to address the issue systematically.
"A Ukrainian man and woman have held the Fields Medal, often called the Nobel Prize for mathematicians. The first, Kharkiv native Volodymyr Drinfeld, received it back in 1990, and the second is Maryna Viazovska, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, who became a laureate in 2022 for solving the sphere-packing problem. This is the highest award in world science in the field of mathematics. Very few people know about this because mathematicians are generally quite private. But this is a huge achievement on a global scale and an incredibly cool story!" Kurbatov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He emphasized that there are many such examples, and separate films could be made about each one. According to him, last year’s film about science and nature, "Antarctica," drew significant attention from children and society to the topic.
"But I must admit: the popularization of science is a real challenge. If you look at the ministry’s strategic work plan, this is perhaps the only thing we have not yet managed to deal with systematically. There simply hasn’t been enough time yet," the deputy minister added.
As reported, the 2025 Ukrainian documentary "Antarctica," directed by Anton Ptushkin and dedicated to the life and work of the 30th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition at the Akademik Vernadsky station, became one of the most popular domestic films.
