Solutions from Ukraine: Dnipro University opens smart shelter

On February 5, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University officially opened CLUST SPACE DNIPRO, the second smart shelter for students in Ukraine and the first in the eastern region. Students, activists, and city business representatives attended the event.

CLUST SPACE reported this.

What is the problem?

Under wartime conditions, Ukrainian students encounter constant threats to their lives, complicating both offline learning and the organization of events. Most shelters are not equipped for comfort or productivity, negatively impacting the educational process.

Many educational institutions are not equipped with safe premises where students can continue studying even during air raids.

What is the solution?

Given the country's security situation, finding solutions that support effective offline learning for students is crucial. In response, the CLUST team decided to construct smart shelters at universities, combining the functions of a shelter and a co-working space.

^{Photo: CLUST SPACE}

"Creating safe and comfortable shelters for students is an investment in the future. For both the CLUST company and me, supporting security initiatives in education is not merely charity; it is a strategic decision to foster the country's sustainable development. When young people can study in stable conditions, we nurture professionals who will remain and work in Ukraine rather than seek opportunities abroad," the initiator of the CLUST SPACE project, Ruslan Timofeiev, said.

How does it work?

CLUST SPACE DNIPRO, the second innovative shelter in Ukraine, has opened at the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. It occupies 550 m² and is designed for 350 people. The space is equipped with everything you need: areas for study, recreation, sports, and video communication, as well as a cafeteria and showers.

The shelter meets the standards of the State Emergency Service and can be used for long-term stays.

^{Photo: CLUST SPACE}

"Ensuring the safety of student events is crucial for us, which is why we are expanding the network of university shelters. Through our partnership with the venture builder CLUST, a newly equipped, modern, safe space for ideas and partnerships is opening at the university. This will serve as another hub for our proactive and creative university community," said Serhii Okovytyi, rector of the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University.

The first shelter for students of the National Technical University of Ukraine, "Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute," was opened in January 2024 in the Scientific and Technical Library.

During its first year of existence, CLUST SPACE KYIV hosted 66,000 people and held presentations, competitions, hackathons, defenses of scientific papers, etc. Project manager Anastasiia Voitkevych is convinced that such safe spaces are needed for students across the country during the war and for creative collaborations and events after the victory.

The next city where CLUST SPACE may appear will be Odesa.

The organizers have already prepared a design project for CLUST SPACE ODESA at the Odesa Illia Mechnikov National University. Currently, the search for construction investments is underway.

For reference:

It should be noted that in Kyiv, the first smart shelter in Ukraine was built in the book depository of the central library of the Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

Additionally, a shelter spanning 666 m², capable of accommodating 400 children simultaneously, has been completely renovated at the Belohorod Academic Lyceum No. 2 in the Kyiv region.