Talents for Ukraine supports Ukrainians who, despite everything, continue to advance science, technology, education, culture, and other fields. Through the program, KSE Foundation invests in Ukraine’s human capital — the knowledge, talent, experience, and potential of people who shape the country’s ability to develop, become stronger, more resilient, and more competitive.
Meet the new winners, including a scientist who studies ecosystems and works with satellite data, a professor in semiconductor materials science, and a student researching cybersecurity.
Vitalii Pichura researches ecology, geoinformation technologies and satellite data analysis. Author of 300+ scientific publications, he has led national and international projects and developed a research approach combining remote sensing, GIS and spatiotemporal modelling. He studies the impacts of the Kakhovka HPP destruction, including post-irrigation aridization and ecosystem/agroecosystem degradation. Since 2018, he has developed a four-lab complex at Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University, where students work with field and satellite data, GIS and analytical models.
“If there is no ready-made solution today, we need to look for one,” Vitalii emphasizes.
Petro Fochuk is a Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, and a semiconductor materials researcher. He co-founded its scientific school on perovskite synthesis, served as Vice-Rector for Research and department head, and supervised PhD and doctoral dissertations and projects. For decades, he has worked with students via the Junior Academy of Sciences, science camps and chemistry olympiads. In 2025–2026, he founded the Center for Students’ Experimental Skills: nine participants reached the All-Ukrainian Chemistry Olympiad, and five became prizewinners.
“One of the truly bold choices in my life was taking up mountaineering,” Petro comments.
Solomiia Marchuk is a cybersecurity student at West Ukrainian National University, a cyberattack researcher, and a web developer. She developed a system for analysing cyberattack techniques and tactics that won a prize at the third stage of the Junior Academy of Sciences competition and a silver medal at the international INOVA innovation show, and was presented at ACIT and a conference on cybersecurity of state institutions. She is also a prizewinner of the national Physics Olympiad, a winner of regional Physics and Mathematics Olympiads, and a prizewinner in astronomy. She works with frontend and backend technologies and conducts research in cryptography for the ACIT conference.
“I want to understand how many different things work, and I cannot simply leave a question unanswered,” Solomiia notes.
More about the Talents for Ukraine winners
