Geologic-Geographic Faculty

Geologic-geographic direction has had a difficult and complex story of formation and development in DNU. Its histiry dates back to 1918 when there was formed the department of mineralogy in Katerynoslav University headed by professor Ivanov L.L. who used to be the pupil of Vernads’kyi V.I. In 1933 Dnipropetrovsk State University was created, it included geological faculty with 8 departments and a research institute of geology which exists nowadays. In 1937 the geographic department started its functioning, it was comdined with the geologic one and in the same year geologic-geographic faculty was opened. Its first dean was Hmarskyi N.Z.

In 1959 the faculty was separated because of the need to relocate the higher educational establishments to the East of the USSR and the decrease in the demand of geology specialists. In DNU there was only the department of geography left which was also closed in 1980-ies. In 1977 at the initiative of Nosovskyi M.F. the geologic department was opened on the basis of the chemical department of DNU, the department was created. In 1991 the geograpgic department was renewed, for the first time the ecological and efficient nature management departments were opened in DNU. On their basis the modern geologic-geographic faculty was opened. The honored graduate of the faculty is Mykhailo Fedorovych Nosovskyi who is a famous scientist in the sphere of paleontology and stratigraphy of Ukrainian Cainozoic, the head of geologic research institute (1963-1988) and the Deputy dean on scientific work (1973-1985), the founder of the scientific school of South Ukraine subsurface geology research. More than 300 students and external students study at geologic-geographic faculty at the following licensed specialities: “Geography”, “Groundwater hydrology”, “Hydrometeorology”. There are 3 professors, Dphils, 21 associate professors, candidates of science, assistant professors and assistants. The faculty implies scientific and scientific-pedagogical specialists and postgraduates at the following specialities: “Constructive geography and efficient nature management”, “Stratigraphy and paleontology”.

The faculty prepares bachelors in the following specialities: “Geography” (specialization – “Geography teaching”, “Recreative geography and touristic-cultural work”), “Groundwater hydrology”, “Hydrometeorology”; and specialists in the following specialities: “Geography”, “Groundwater hydrology”.

Faculty’s students get practical preparation during general geographic, geologic, interzonal, pedagogical practices in International research biosperic permanent establishment of DNU at the village of Andriyivka, at Lviv National University (the Carpathians), geologic training ground named after Bogdanov A.A. of Miscow State University (the region of Bakhchisaray, autonomous republic Crimea), biosphere and nature reserves of Ukraine, educational establishments of the region etc. Field experience is gained at industrial establishments of the region. Both types of practice have the same general idea and the goal of gaining practical experience. During summer practice students visit and study the peculiarities of plateau Chatyrdag microclimate, the processes of karst creation in the caves Chervona, Marmurova, Bayar, the processes of weathering near Demirdgi (the Valley of hosts), processes at the river Ulu-Uzen’ (waterfall Dzhur-Dzhur), historico-cultural background of the Ukrainians (Alushta, Bakhchisarai, a cave city Mangup-Tene etc.)

The faculty graduates have a possibility to work at schools, lyceums, colleges, educational establishments of the III-IV levels of accreditation, travel agencies, centres, government services, social and economic establishments, they can work as specialists of land cadastre, cartography, meteorological and ground water equipment, as hydrogeologists, engineers-geologists, construction engineers, executives of manufacturing subdepartments in indutrial spheres; at the projecting of research equipment, ground waters and waterworks facilities of Ukraine etc.

The following research directions have been formed at the faculty: “Recreative geography and tourism”, “Country-specific studies”, “Social geography and regional studies”, “Social geography”, “Toponymy and historical geography”, “Geography teaching methods”, “Geoinformation cartography”, “Environment state monitoring”, “Efficient nature management”, “South Ukraine stratigraphy and paleontology” etc.

The academic stuff of the faculty provides scientific researches in the network of the state budget issues. The faculty cooperates with scientific and higher educational establishments of Ukraine and foreign countries, collaborates with Ukrainian national universities such as Kyiv named after Taras Shevchenko, Kharkiv named after N.V. Karazin, Chernivtsi named after Yuriy Fed’kovych, Tavriyskyi named after V.I. Vernads’kyi, pedagogical named after M.P. Dragomanov, Odessa named after I.I. Mechnikov, Lugansk; universities of Russia (Moscow named after M.V. Lomonosov, Saint-Petersburg named after A.I. Gertsen, Kaliningrad named after I. Kant, Pskov, Volgograd etc.); Belarus (Mogilev named after A.A. Kuleshov) and other countries.

The departments of the faculty cooperate with DNU subdivisions – research institutes of biology and geology, Dniprovsko-Orilskyi nature preservations, Institute of nature management and ecology problems of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, LLC “Ecology”, nature preserving organizations of the region and organizations that solve the problems of efficient nature management.

The faculty prepares scientific and scientific-pedagogical postgraduates at the following specialities: 11.00.11 – Constructive geography and efficient nature management; 04.00.09 – Stratigraphy and paleontology. The faculty publishes a journal “Bulletin of Dnipropetrovsk University. Geology. Geography” which was firstly published in 1993 and is defined as a professional one. Faculty’s scientists and lecturers are the authors of a number of textbooks with a signature stamp of the Ministry of Science and Education of Ukraine. Those are: Bezuglyi V.V., Kozynets’ S.V. Regional economic and social geography of the world: Textbook. – K.: PC “Academy”, 2003. – 688 p.; Bezuglyi V.V. Economic and social geography of foreign countries: Texbook. – K.: PC “Academy”, 2005. – 704 p. The following books are recommended by the Regional Institute of Postgraduate Education: Zelens’ka L.I. Native land: Dnipropetrovsk region geography: Textbook for 5th grade pupils. – D.: “Dnipro – VAL”, 2003. – 164 p.; Reading book on Dnipropetrovsk region geography: Textbook for 5-11th grade pupils/ Compiler - Zelens’ka L.I. - D.: “Dnipro – VAL”, 2006. – 358 p.; Zelens’ka L.I., Afanasyev O.Y. Native land geography: Dnipropetrovsk region: Textbook for 9th grade pupils. – D.: “Dnipro – VAL”, 2006. – 247 p.

During the last 5 years a series of scientific and educative editions on georaphic and geologic issues was published. Among them the next monographs should be mentioned: Barga I.M., Stepaniaka Y.D. Stratigraphy and geologic development of the plain Crimea and Kerchenskiy peninsula in the Miocene epoche. – D.: “Monolith”, 2003. – 170 p.; Yevgrashkina G.P. Mineral resource industry influence on the hydrogeological and soil-reclamation conditions of the area. – D.: “Monolith”, 2003. – 200 p.; Barga I.M., Stepaniaka Y.D. Molluscs of tomakovskiy layer of South Ukraine. – D.: “Monolith”, 2005. – 196 p.; Gorba A.S., Duk N.M. Dnipropetrovsk region climate. – D.: DNU, 2006. – 204 p. The Scientific Assosiation of students and postgraduates takes place at the faculty. Annually it performs an international scientific conference “Geography, geoecology, geology: scientific researches results” (the head is assosiate professor Afanasyev O.Y.) More than 80 higher educational establishments from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and other countried take part in this conference. There are several scientific studenrs groups. The scientists of the faculty initiate and coordinate regional nature preserving actions – “Primroses of Prydniprovya”, “The tree of Life”, “Gullies of Prydniprovya from Children’s Point of View”. Ecology- propagandistic work is fulfilled as well (for example, ecological bulletins and posters are given, photo-exhibitions are held etc.) Faculty’s staff always take part in ecological and recreative and touristic programs at state television and radio, they also are the coauthors of the series of nature preserving movies devoted to the problem of small rivers preservation. 18 articles for the Ecological Encyclopedia of Ukraine have been written, more than 20 articles were published in the encyclopedia “Modern Ukraine”.

Students of the faculty regularly take part in the contests of students’ scientific works, different scientific conferences held by Ukrainian and Russian universities. They take one of leading positions as to the number of publications. Students of the faculty write graduation papers on applied socially and ecologically important topics. Young scientists – students and postgraduates – concentrate on spatial peculiarities of the environmental pollution spread while writing their publications. They analyze the level of the influence of separate enterorises on the urban environment, including Dnipropetrovsk, they suggest ways to improve the environmental state and to provide a permanent development of areas’ envorenment (including Dnipro City).

Certain lecturers and students are members and representatives of the European Assosiation ProGEO (assosiate professor Maniuk Vol.V.), professor Zelens’ka L.I. is the academician of Russian Academy of Pedagogical Sciences.

Student government actively functions at the faculty. It organizes free time activities and the rest of students. Under its aegis the meetings of first-year students, initiation into collegiate life, days of freshmen, travels, sport competitions, the Day of the Faculty etc. are held.

For excellent grades and active role in social life students of the faculty get named scholarships of DNU and city council. Student Dotsenko Roman became the holder of Victor Pinchuk Fund scholarship.