In the 1930s, as a part of industrialization, there was a need for new building and construction materials, and as a result, for the creation of machines for both existing and new chemical technologies. It was necessary to solve these needs comprehensively and at the modern technical level. It would be impossible to overcome this set of problems without advanced mechanical engineering. In 1928, the Department of Chemical Mechanical Engineering was established as part of the chemical and technological faculty in KPI, and in 1931, the evening department of the “Chemical Mechanical Engineering” specialty was opened under the leadership of associate professor O. Plygunov, later the long-term rector of KPI, professor. Considering the needs of the economy, in 1938 the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Foundry was founded. Dean of the faculty was appointed a member of the Academy of Sciences, prof. V. Vasiliev. The newly created faculty, in addition to the chemical engineering department, included the following departments: general chemical technology and hydraulics, pumps and compressors, metal technology and metallurgy, foundry production, graphics, safety technology. Today, these departments are existing as part of KPI faculties.

The first mechanical engineers graduation at the faculty took place in 1935 and numbered 16 people, and in 1940 – 98 people.

With the beginning of the Second World War in Ukraine, part of the students and teachers were mobilazed to the front, and the institute was evacuated to the Tashkent city . After the war and returning the KPI to Kyiv in 1944, the study process at the departments of chemical mechanical engineering was carried out as part of the mechanical faculty. In 1954, the Faculty of Chemical Engineering was re-established at KPI, and the Department of Silicates joined it.

In the post-war years, intense self-sacrificing work was carried out on the renewal and creation of the material base, the formation of teaching staff and teaching and support staff. Recent front-line students and teachers played a big role in this. The deans were great enthusiasts of their work, associate professors H.M. Kostenko, V.F. Dubovytskyi – former rector of the Kuibyshev University of Engineering and Construction.

From 1961 to 1980, the faculty was headed by an experienced, highly qualified production engineer, later Professor D. D. Ryabinin. A Specialized Academic Council for Dissertation Defense was created, at which more than 50 candidate theses were successfully defended by graduate students, employees of KPI and other organizations.

In 1978, on the initiative of the KPI rector, Prof. G. Denisenko, with the participation of the ministries of chemical and petroleum engineering and the active participation of the faculty staff, a new building #19 with an area of ​​more than 5 thousand sq.m. was built. Associate professors B. Bulgakov, V. Honcharenko, A. Kubrak, M. Kvasko, S. Sydorenko, V. Dobronogov, Y. Kornienko, assistant P.Glaz and other teachers, employees and students took an active part in the construction .

The faculty trains specialists in the field of mechanical engineering, resource conservation, ecology and computer-integrated technologies, who are able to design, research and operate technological processes, equipment and control systems at chemical and oil refineries, building materials enterprises, pulp and paper industries, enterprises with polymer processing, environmental protection institutions. Graduates of the faculty work as managers of project development and leading specialists in the operation of technological processes, equipment, automated control systems and software tools at enterprises of various forms of ownership.

Automation Hardware and Software Department (AH&S)

The department trains specialists who are able to develop, design, and operate computer control systems for various processes. A specialist who has completed the training process according to the program of the department receives thorough knowledge of:

  • automatic control;
  • programming;
  • intelligent data processing technologies;
  • decision-making;
  • automation hardware;
  • systems modeling.

Department of Chemical, Polymer and Silicate Mechanical Engineering (CPSME)

The department is engaged in the training of highly qualified specialists who skillfully use modern engineering modeling and programming systems, computer graphics, automated design systems. The CPSME department trains specialists who are able to develop and improve:

  • equipment for processing plastics, building materials and products;
  • resource and energy saving means ;
  • packaging manufacturing equipment.

Students who study at the CPSME department receive fundamental training in mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials resistance, study the theory of structural materials, programing, and also acquire skills in working with mechanotronic systems. The 4th-5th year, students study special disciplines related to the design, complex technological equipment construction and manufacture, in particular, design and calculation in the APROCKS systems (department know how), SolidWorks, VESNA. All students receive knowledge in the field of economics, law, logic, management and marketing. The presence of a modern scientific and technical base makes it possible to conduct the educational process in conditions as close as possible to production, and also ensures the implementation of important scientific and research works. Students also participate in research. The department has its own library, where you can get educational and methodological and scientific and technical literature.

Department of Machines and Apparatus of Chemical and Refining Industries (MACRI)

The Department of Machines and Apparatus of Chemical Production (since 1997 – the Department of Machines and Apparatus of Chemical and Refinery Production) was founded in 1928, and in 2008 celebrated its 80th anniversary. Over the years of its existence as part of KPI, the department has trained about 100 PhDs and doctors of sciences and more than 4,000 highly qualified engineers, including for forien country such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Algeria. Among the department’s graduates are many industrial enterprises top managers, project organizations headmans, and research institutes headmans. Graduates of the department successfully work as enterprises managers at the various forms of ownership that design and operate equipment for the chemical, machine-building, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper industries and the forestry complex; by specialists in organizations that monitor the demand for oil and gas industry products, the ecological state of the environment, supervision of the design, production, implementation and operation of biotechnological equipment, the cardboard and paper products saling.

Department of Ecology and Plant Polymers Technology (E and PPT)

The environment state deteriorates every year, threatening humanity with local and global crises, and the natural resources reserves decrease every year, requiring a person to use them rationally and sparingly. Perhaps the most important factor in solving environmental and resource problems is the presence the highly qualified workers – professionals in their field. During the study process, the students acquire special knowledge in the following disciplines: environmental management, environmental expertise, environmental audit, mathematical modeling in environmental protection, environmental monitoring, biology, hydrology and geology, general ecology, environmental economics, radioecology, atural and wastewater analysis, water treatment technologies, water systems design, waste utilization and recovery and others.

The department is the only one in Ukraine that trains specialists in the field of integrated natural wood using, pulp production and processing, wood pulp, paper and cardboard. It is also planned to train specialists in the fiberboards and plastics production . Students studying this specialty, in addition to general education and engineering disciplines, study chemistry and technology of production and processing of the most widespread and available natural polymers, which are constantly regenerated in nature on a large scale and attract the attention of researchers and technologists.

Student life

Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has a wide organizations network that represent the interests of students, organize their leisure time, scientific research, and protect public interests, the main ones being the Student Council and ProfBureau. Also, all students have the opportunity to improve their health and immunity in health centers such as: health center”MAYAK” in Lazurne town, base “Polytechnic” in Hlibovka village and others.

FEC students have the opportunity to compete for a TEMPO grant, and are also participants and winners of many all-Ukrainian and international competitions. For example, the All-Ukrainian Olympiad “Mechanotronics in Mechanical Engineering” or the “European Engineering Competition”. The annual competition “Miss FEC” and “Mr. FEC” is held at the faculty. Faculty Day is always loudly celebrated. Also, the faculty does not lag behind others in the field of sports. The faculty’s students are famous arm wrestlers of Ukraine, and the FEC futsal team is considered one of the strongest teams at the University.