Dr. Kseniia Minakova is an Associate Professor of Physics, Leader Researcher in Optics & Photonics Laboratory and Deputy Chair of the Admissions Committee at the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”. In 2023 she was named Optica Ambassador. Dr. Minakova received her Ph.D in Solid State Physics from the Institute of Electrophysics & Radiation Technologies National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and the Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics from the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Now Kseniia's research is focused on theoretical calculations and modeling of thermal physical processes to find modern solutions and technical improvements to solar collectors for photovoltaic systems, taking into account the most important parameters of heat transfer processes, to optimize and increase the amount of heat removed from the surface of the solar collector. She also explored best practices in the effective recruitment, training, and development of women and other underrepresented groups in STEAM and learned how she can institutionalize opportunities for women in Ukraine using US experience. She has great experience in STEM that is being implemented in University-wide, as well as in all-Ukrainian and international STEM projects.

In this lecture she will discuss how the war in Ukraine has impacted researchers and rebuilding efforts.

EU FILM FESTIVAL

In preparation for the upcoming 2024 EU Film Festival (January 19-26, 2024), the ESC and the French and Italian Departments will host a teaser film screening.

PLUTO
Writer and Director: Renzo Carbonera (with Andrea Pennacchi)

A man wanders through the woods of the Alps. He lives in a former World War I fort and is haunted by nightmares and visions. He seems to have a mission to accomplish: he is the last agent of a secret society that over the years has prevented humanity from being destroyed by the mad atomic race. Or at least that’s what he believes. Franco Carling has served in military missions all over the world, has been injured in an accident and has lost his dearest affections because of the work that has taken him to numerous American bases in Italy and Europe, always in the company of the Bomb. Since the end of the Cold War, his points of reference have been missing, the enemy is no longer so easy to identify and the atomic risk has lost its strongest controller, the deterrence that was generated by the world divided into blocks. Now the Bomb has become his obsession, his torment and his only reason of life.

FREE ADMISSION

Writer and Director Renzo Carbonera will be present for Q&A.

Renzo Carbonera is a versatile artist and filmmaker who earned his degree with a thesis on director Ken Loach. He's known for directing 10 widely-broadcasted TV documentaries and achieving international acclaim with his fiction short film "Hemingway’s Pen," which won awards at numerous film festivals. His feature film "Resina" also garnered recognition and distribution in multiple countries. Renzo continued his success with "Takeaway" and "Pluto," two more films premiered at prestigious festivals. Beyond film, he serves as an artistic director and writer for video games and multimedia projects, with "The Rude Awakening" receiving acclaim. Additionally, he's set to make his debut as a theatrical stage director with "Jitney," produced by La Piccionaia, a prominent theater production company in Northern Italy.