Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute

Infobox_University
name=National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute"
native_name=Natsionalnyy Technichnyy Universitet "Kharkivskiy Politechnichnyy Instytut"
motto=
established=1885
type=Public university
rector=Prof. Dr. Leonid Tovazhnyanskyy
students=24,000
staff=3,700
city=Kharkiv
country=Ukraine
campus=urban
affiliations=
website=http://www.kpi.kharkov.ua/
footnotes=Data as of 2006

National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute" is one of the oldest technical universities in Ukraine. It was founded in 1885 as a practical institute of technology with two departments - mechanical and chemical - that could offer training to 125 persons. The organizer and first director of that institute was Victor Kirpichev, who was an honored professor specializing in mechanics and resistance of materials.

The institute had 17 academics, 10 professors and 7 adjunct professors. In 1898 it was renamed as the Emperor Alexander III Institute of Technology. In 1921 the institute set up the first faculty for workers in Ukraine and in 1923 at request of students, teachers and employees the institute was renamed for Vladimir Lenin. In 1929 the V.I. Lenin institute of Technology was renamed as the V.I. Lenin Polytechnical Institute.

In 1930 five independent higher educational institutions for mechanical machine-engineering, electrical technology, chemical technology, engineering & construction and aviation were set up on the basis of five separate faculties of the institute.

During the years of the World War II over three thousand professors, students and employees of the institute joined the Soviet Army. Evacuated to the cities of Krasnoufimsk and Chirchik, the institute not only continued training engineering staff, but also solved serious scientific problems related to strengthening the defense of the USSR.

In 1949 four higher educational establishments, in particular the institutes for mechanical machine-engineering, chemical technology, electrical technology and the institute of the cement industry were united into the V.I. Lenin Politechnical institute. Prof. Mikhail Semko was appointed a rector and stayed at this position for 30 years.

In April 1994 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine granted the status of "state polytechnical university" to the Kharkiv Polytechnical Institute.

In 2000 a decree of the President of Ukraine awarded to the university the status of 'National Technical University' (NTU "KhPI").

Now the university prepares specialists in the field of machine-building, automation, electrical engineering, electronics, chemical engineering, control systems, management and business.