Two research projects of Sumy State University have been selected as winners of the “Excellent Science in Ukraine 2026–2028” Call and will be implemented with the support of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine (NRFU).

The project “Science as a Tool of Propaganda: Detection, Analysis, and Counteraction Using the Case of the Russian Scientific System” developed by researchers of the Academic and Research Institute of Business, Economics and Management received 92.7 points out of 100 following expert evaluation.

Project team:

• Oleksii Plastun – Project Leader, Scientific Supervisor of the Think Tank “Research of Fakes and Propaganda in Russian Science” , Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations;
• Tetyana Mayboroda – Head of the Think Tank, Associate Professor of the Oleg Balatskyi Department of Management, Deputy Head of the International Relations Office;
• Anna Vorontsova – Research Analyst of the Think Tank, Senior Researcher of the Department of International Economic Relations;
• Yurii Petrushenko – Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations;
• Hanna Filatova – Senior Lecturer of the Department of International Economic Relations.

Building on the existing the Think Tank “Research of Fakes and Propaganda in Russian Science” , the project will conduct a comprehensive study of the use of science as a propaganda instrument under contemporary hybrid threats. The research envisages analysing mechanisms for embedding propaganda narratives into academic publications, developing detection tools, including the AI-based Propaganda Detector model, and formulating recommendations for academic journals and databases to counteract scholarly disinformation.

The project’s implementation will strengthen Sumy State University’s research capacity and contribute to advancing academic integrity and countering disinformation in the global scientific environment.

Another Sumy State University project  “Multicomponent Thin-Film Alloys with Combined Magnetoresistive, Electrochemical and Magneto-Optical Properties for Application in Next-Generation Energy and Microelectronic Systems” also received a high expert score (90.9 points) and was awarded funding within the same call.

The project will be implemented by researchers from the Faculties of Electronics and Information Technologies and Technical Systems and Energy Technologies .

Key project participants:

• Iryna Pazukha – Project Leader, Associate Professor of the Department of Electronics, General and Applied Physics;
• Oleksandr Pylypenko – Senior Lecturer of the same department;
• Yurii Shkurdoda – Professor of the Department of Electronics, General and Applied Physics;
• Oksana Haponova – Head of the Department of Applied Materials Science and Structural Materials Technologies;
• Yurii Volk – Dean of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technologies.

The project aims to identify general patterns of how synthesis conditions, structural-phase composition, and stoichiometry affect the magnetoresistive, magneto-optical, electrophysical, and electrochemical properties of multicomponent thin-film alloys for their practical use in next-generation energy and microelectronic systems. In particular, the research focuses on developing efficient and cost-effective catalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions, as well as highly sensitive magnetic field sensor elements with long-term stability.

We congratulate all project teams and wish them every success in implementing their research initiatives!