At the National University Lviv Polytechnic, a culture of professional dialogue between students and industry practitioners continues to take shape. The Transport Talks series, initiated by the Department of Transport Technologies of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Transport together with the University’s Tutoring and Mentoring Center, is gradually becoming a dynamic platform for exchanging experience, ideas, and managerial thinking. The format предусматривает informal “coffee meetings” where students and industry professionals can openly discuss challenges, development, and the future of transport.

The sixth meeting of the series took place in the L.I.S. student space and brought together students of the Department of Transport Technologies’ educational programs – in particular, “Organization of Transportation and Management in Railway Transport” (J7) and “Transport Technologies in Road Transport” (J8). For them, Transport Talks became an opportunity to go beyond theoretical learning and communicate directly with people who make decisions in large organizational systems. The main guest of the meeting was Taras Kytzmei – co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of SoftServe, which over more than 30 years has grown into one of the largest IT service companies in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. His talk took the form of an open conversation without formal barriers. The focus was not only on his professional journey but also on deeper issues: how managerial thinking is formed, what role university education plays, and what responsibility means in complex systems. An important emphasis of the meeting was the topic of leadership. Taras Kytzmei stressed that activity and initiative are key traits of a future manager. Passive learning does not create leaders; instead, participation in projects, the ability to ask questions, and the willingness to take responsibility form the foundation of professional growth. This message strongly resonated with the student audience, as it directly connected theory with the realities of the modern market. The practical part of the meeting became one of the most valuable. Students worked on transport cases, presented their own ideas, and received professional feedback. The guest demonstrated a business approach to problem analysis: from clear structuring of challenges to risk assessment and selection of the most viable solutions. This format helped participants see how theoretical knowledge transforms into practical managerial tools. The initiator and moderator of the series is Associate Professor of the Department of Transport Technologies Yuliia Hermaniuk, who consistently develops the idea of open dialogue between the university and business. Thanks to this approach, Transport Talks is gaining the features of an effective professional community. The previous meeting – Transport Talks 5 – was also indicative, held under the concept “When the city stops being an abstraction.” The discussion then went beyond formal administrative structures and focused on the city as a living system of daily decisions. Participants talked about the formation of urban mobility, safety as a way of thinking, and the need for cities to have young professionals ready to take responsibility. A large number of student questions – about first professional experience, doubts, and opportunities – demonstrated the high level of audience engagement.

Transport Talks is an educational space of a new type, where academic training, mentorship, and real industry experience are combined. Here, a generation of specialists is being formed who not only understand transport technologies but also think systemically, responsibly, and strategically. Platforms like this are gradually transforming the approach to training engineers and managers, bringing education closer to the real challenges of the industry and the needs of the modern city.