Greetings, friends, colleagues, and future industry leaders!
This is Mykhailo Sheveliuk, Head of the Hospitality School and Lecturer at the Hotel and Restaurant Business Department of the Lviv State University of Physical Culture (LDUFK) named after Ivan Boberskyj.
Today, I want to share with you my incredible impressions and the results of a massive event that symbolically coincided with Vyshyvanka Day. On May 21, at our university—which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year—we hosted the VI All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation "Innovations, Hospitality, Tourism: Education, Science, Practice."
This wasn't just an academic gathering; it was a true platform for networking, sharing experiences, and generating new ideas for the post-war recovery of our country.
An Impressive Scale
This year, we brought together in a mixed format representatives from over 34 educational institutions across Ukraine, alongside leading scholars and practitioners from Poland, France, and the UK.
We were particularly proud of the active inter-institutional collaboration. We gladly welcomed delegations from the Vinnytsia and Chernivtsi Trade and Economics Institutes of SUTE, led by Professor Nataliia Chorna and Associate Professor Karina Palamarek.
The conference was officially opened by the Head of the Organizing Committee, Head of our Department, Professor Mariia Paska, and the Rector of the University, Professor Yaroslav Svyshch, who both emphasized the critical importance of developing the hospitality sector even in the most challenging times.
We were joined by a powerful cohort of leading academics, including: Marian Pityn, Svitlana Kryshtanovych, Oksana Dyshkantiuk, Oksana Davydova, Larysa Sharan, Marta Malska, Roman Sherstiuk, Maryna Samilyk, Iryna Banieva, and our Polish colleagues, notably Professor Dariusz Władysław Skalski from Gdańsk. In total, the scientific community presented over 170 research papers!
Synergy of Education and Business
As the Head of the Hospitality School, I always emphasize: theory without practice is blind. That is why the practical component of the conference became a real hub for the HoReCa community.
We were joined by top business partners:
"Valentino" Restaurant and "Swiss" Hotel
"Boikivska Hostyna" Restaurant
"MUKA" (craft production of semi-finished goods)
"Lvivskyi Kish" Bakery and Coffee Shop (special thanks to Tetiana Rubtsova, Head of the Department's Stakeholder Council)
"Shepit" Restaurant and the "Piana Vyshnia" chain
HoReCa Hospitality School
Key Vectors and Social Mission
Special attention was paid to topics that resonate with every Ukrainian today—the role of tourism and volunteering in restoring our country's human capital:
Mariana Kuksa spoke about tourism as a tool for personal and national recovery.
Iryna Havryliv and Andrii Stepaniuk raised crucial topics regarding volunteering and supporting military families as a way to rehabilitate our defenders.
Volodymyr Fedkiv revealed the practical aspects of veteran policy in the Lviv region.
Master Classes and Gastronomic Discoveries
The practical part of the event featured 17 sectional reports and 4 incredible tasting presentations:
1. Scalable solutions in the ready food segment: Olesia Zaletska shared the secrets behind the "Muka" craft brand.
2. Fresh-frozen cherries in HoReCa: Nazar Levkiv (our PhD student) presented a characteristic analysis of this raw material for restaurants.
3. Street food and Boiko cuisine: Andrii Nimets and brand chef Maksym Prykhidko demonstrated the transformation of local culinary heritage.
4. Orange-carrot cream soup: Our talented students and practitioners from the "Shepit" restaurant, Yurii and Yaroslav Paska, developed and presented their own soup recipe for evaluation.
"Hospitality Battle": The Energy of Youth
What is an event without some healthy competition? Under the guidance of Associate Professor Orysia Izhevska, we held an interactive "Hospitality Battle" for young scientists and students. Four teams competed for the title of the best:
"HoReCa Dream" (VTEI SUTE)
"ChTEI GANG" (ChTEI SUTE)
"Tiktokers" and "SMAK-OK" (our bright stars from LDUFK)
Students showcased their skills in various contests: "Master of Sensory Identification", "Master of Crystal Classification", "Vegetable Balance", "Calibrated Receptors", and "Blind Tasting". Thanks to Kostiantyn Labartkava, we also had an exciting "Hiking Backpack" competition.
The energetic atmosphere was maintained by sports and dance performances from our Choreography and Art Studies Department's groups ("Clap Snap", "Odne Tsile").
Final Thoughts
This day passed in an incredibly warm, inspiring, and creative atmosphere. We proved once again that Ukrainian hospitality is about resilience, innovation, and continuous development, no matter the circumstances.
On behalf of the organizers, I sincerely thank every participant, partner, scholar, and student. You are shaping the future of our industry!
See you at the Hospitality School and our upcoming events! We hold the line and work towards victory!
