When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on the night of February 24, 2022, Igor Klymenko was 17 years old and was finishing his last year of high school in Kiev, where he lived with his family.
The bombs exploded closer and closer and Igor made the quick decision to flee to the outskirts of the city to
take refuge in a basement with eight other people
.
There he completed his studies, remotely, while
perfecting a mine detection drone
that he had been working on for eight years.
Igor Klymenko testing the mine detector.
"It was terrifying to hear the planes and the explosions, but I knew that education was the key to making a difference," he now tells Clarín
,
from Edmenton (Canada), where he is studying Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Alberta, one of the five most prestigious in that country, at the same time that he is studying the degree of automation of computer-integrated technologies online at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute.
Igor Klymenko, the best student in the world, is now studying at the University of Alberta, in Canada.
"I want to apply what I learn to develop my drone and
solve the global problem of landmines
," he says -ambitious- about his near future.
“I have no idea when the war will end, but I know that the crisis will continue for a long time.
And the people who know about the subject are saying that, once the war is over,
it will take more than 50 years to remove all the mines in Ukraine
, ”he now tells
Clarín
through Zoom, wasting all his sympathy.
Igor Klymenko celebrates with his family when he won the award.
It was the tenacity in the study, plus the potential impact on the community of the mine detection drone project, the main reasons that led Igor to be chosen as the
best student in the world
by the jury of the Global Student Prize 2022, a global award that awards
$100,000 to the winner.
Igor Klymenko in New York, where he received the statuette, during the week of the United Nations General Assembly.
He competed against
nearly 7,000 applicants from 150 countries.
Nicolás Monzón (25), an Argentine who comes from a humble family in Quilmes, who is now doing three degrees and
created a software company,
had been selected among the 10 best students in the world.
Nicolas Monzon, Argentine student who was among the 10 best in the world.
Photo Guillermo Rodriguez Adami
How is Igor's anti-mine drone?
“The device I developed is called
the Quadcopter Mines Detector
.
It detects anti-personnel and anti-vehicle land mines, and transmits the coordinates to the operator to
within centimeters.
You can detect them without activating them -Igor says-.
The idea first occurred to me when I was 9 years old and saw the news about Russia's invasion of Crimea.
At that time, I resolved
to do what I could to help my country
."
“I have always been interested in science and would spend hours studying robotics books and discussing my ideas with my teachers.
When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, I became even more committed to helping my country and saving lives, so
I continued to perfect my drone from the basement
we were sheltering in,” she adds.
Igor already has the prototype of the device ready, which has received two official patents in Ukraine.
He is now working on the development of a minimum viable product to be able to test it in the real world.
The mine detection device that Igor Klymenko created.
Credit: Sydney Tancowny.
The best student in the world tells that the hostilities for the invasion of Russia made education a real challenge for all Ukrainians.
For security reasons and as at the worst moment of the pandemic,
all classes had to be taught online
, remotely.
Igor Klymenko on Zoom, speaking last week with Clarín.
“The war has taken a lot from me, but I was determined that it would not take away my education as well.
I am very grateful for the help and encouragement of my teachers.
Even though many of them
joined the military
,
they continued to support me over the phone and through Zoom
.
They motivated me to continue working on my drone and without their support I would not be where I am today", Igor tells
Clarín
.
He also says that in Ukraine most of the schools for children under 16, like the one his sister attends,
are still in a remote format
.
“My family still lives in the camp, they did not return to kyiv because the camp is safer.
I know of some schools that resumed face-to-face, but
everyone must go to the basement every time the sirens are heard
due to possible attacks”, Igor tells
Clarín
from Zoom.
Igor left behind many of his friends in Ukraine, who now live in different parts of the country, and he says that this makes him “anxious” because he often loses contact and news about them.
Since he was a child, Igor Klymenko had a very strong disease from which he almost died.
"With the strength of mind and the treatment in Cuba under the care of specialists, I was able to overcome it," he says.
“Hearing explosions outside made us face the situation that
every day could be the last.
In this context, knowing that my people were fighting and defending my country motivated me to persist with my device”, says Igor.
He also says that he would like to return to the Ukraine once he graduates from the university in Canada, which he estimates will be in three years.
Still with a broken arm, Igor Klymenko participated as a boy in a robotics competition.
Beyond the war in Ukraine, Igor now wants his device to transcend and
save lives in many parts of the world where armed conflicts are taking place.
“I hope that the award jury saw the potential that my project has to help not only Ukraine, but the world.
Although Ukraine is one of the most mined countries, it is a problem that also affects
60 other countries
, ”he says.
Igor acknowledges that this award would not have been possible without his family and friends.
“They gave me great support while I was developing my drone.
They were very proud of me when I won the Global Student Prize.
Also, my work is very inspired by them, by my family, friends, teachers and the people of Ukraine, who are fighting for our freedom.
For me,
they are all true heroes
”, He affirms.
Igor Klymenko at the Lego competition.
And he recounts the vicissitudes he had to go through to go to study in Canada.
“Last year, when I was finishing high school and the war started, my family started to think about where I could study in the next few years.
We reviewed the opportunities given to us by different programs and universities.
And the University of Alberta had
a one-year scholarship for Ukrainian students
.
So I improved my English, I applied and now I'm here, ”she says, happy with his achievement.
First prize in a Lego competition.
Igor Klymenko is the one in the middle.
“When I moved to Canada I had to come with my mother, because
I was still 17 years old and a minor
and I needed an adult for many procedures that I had to do.
My mom lived with me for three weeks, and then she went back to Ukraine, because my sister is 10 years old, ”she says.
Igor Klymenko developing the mine detector.
Although Igor is now on his own, living on the university campus, he says he is very happy with his new reality.
“Canada is very different from Ukraine.
There are many immigrants here, including many Ukrainians, and there is great diversity.
It's really cool
”.
Igor says he plans to use most of the $100,000 to
further develop his drone
, "to try to save as many lives as possible."
And he leaves a message for the Argentine students.
Igor Klymenko participates in an event of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in kyiv and aims to encourage young people to create their own projects.
- What do you know about Argentina?
Clarín
asks him
.
- Little, that
good soccer players usually come from Argentina
(he keeps thinking).
- Would you like to come to Argentina?
- Yes of course.
In Ukraine, to all the students who are developing projects, one of the things that inspires us the most is
talking with other students from other parts of the world
.
If I had the possibility, it would be great.
I would like to speak with Argentine students and
share our knowledge.
- What would you tell them?
- I would tell you my story, and how from the problems we had I looked for opportunities and I got to this moment in Canada.
How I am working on my project, how I did the best to apply in different places and get here.
I would exchange my life experience
with theirs.
- What would you say to the leaders of Argentina?
- That they try to make
the boys enjoy science
.
In the Ukraine there are organizations that deal with this with high school students, of all ages: they talk to the supervisors, so that they push the boys to do research.
And I would also talk to the leaders of the companies, I would ask them to help the students.
Igor Klymenko tests his mine detection device in the classroom.
It was before the war.
“I also strongly encourage Argentine students to
apply for the Global Student Prize,
to share their stories and make their voices heard.
This award gave me an incredible platform to raise awareness of the global landmine problem and helped bring me one step closer to realizing my dream of a mine-free world.
Throughout this entire experience, I have met many inspiring people from all over the world, from fellow students to political leaders.
It is a great opportunity ”, he closes.
How is the prize that Igor won
The Chegg.org Global Student Prize is open to
all students around the world who are at least 16 years old
and who, in addition to academic achievement, are distinguished
by projects that have “real impact on learning, on the lives of their peers, and on the the society
”.
This year's registration was open until April 16.
Promoted by the Varkey Foundation and the NGO Chegg.org, it is a "sister award" of the Global Teacher Prize, the "Nobel Prize in Education" that awards one million dollars to the best teacher in the world.
Webinar given recently by Igor Klymenko explaining the device he created.
In addition to the Ukrainian Igor Klymenko and the Argentine Nicolás Monzón, the other 8 finalists from last year were Alesyah Asa, from Malaysia;
Anagha Rajesh, from India;
Gitanjali Rao, from the United States;
Kenisha Arora, from Canada;
Lucas Tejedor, from Brazil;
Mathias Charles Yabe, from Ghana;
Maya Bridgman, from the United Arab Emirates;
and Nathan Nguyen, from Australia.
The 2021 winner had been Jeremiah Thoronka, a student from Sierra Leone, who created a project that transforms vehicle vibrations into electrical current.
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look too
An Argentine student was among the 10 best in the world and is going for US$ 100,000