Karazin Kharkiv National University Educator Wins European STEM Excellence Award 2026

The award ceremony took place on August 24–25 during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Technical Meeting on educational networks at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

The international judging panel praised Afanasieva—who also teaches at the Karazin University Lyceum—for her outstanding contributions to STEM education, science popularization, and her steadfast support of Ukrainian students under challenging wartime conditions. Her key achievements include:

• Hands-On STEM in Emergency Settings: Conducting interactive physics experiments for children in Kharkiv’s underground metro school and bomb shelters, as well as leading mobile STEM demonstrations across front-line and de-occupied communities in the Kharkiv region.

• International Collaboration & Nuclear Education: Coaching the student team that reached the finals of the 4th European Nuclear Competition, participating in the EU-backed Nurecab initiative (EURATOM / Horizon Europe), and organizing annual Summer Schools on Nuclear Physics for high school students.

• Curriculum Development & Digital Innovation: Co-authoring the Ministry of Education and Science-approved natural science curriculum for 10th and 11th graders, producing video lessons, and developing custom virtual lab tools utilizing PhET interactive simulations.

• Mentorship & Public Outreach: Coaching top-performing student researchers in the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (JAS), delivering public lectures, and publishing over 70 educational guides for Ukrainian teachers.

This international accolade highlights both the enduring strength of Kharkiv’s physics and technology tradition and the remarkable resilience of Ukrainian educators continuing their academic mission despite ongoing conflict.