Problems of training scientific and pedagogical staff in chemistry in pre-revolutionary universities of Ukraine (19th – early 20th centuries)

Abstract

The article identifies a number of problems that arose in the process of training students in chemistry at Ukrainian universities in the 19th – early 20th centuries. There were not enough chemistry teachers during this period, but they did a lot of work to find ways to stimulate students’ research, although chemical laboratories were insufficiently equipped and staffed. The role of university professors in public life and everyday problems of the population of Ukraine is shown. They participated in the preparation of literature for the population of Kharkiv and Odessa, provided assistance in studying the physical and chemical properties of products and non-product substances. During this period, new areas of focus emerged in the study of chemistry (agrochemistry, thermochemistry, electrochemistry, etc.). The problems of various scientific schools in chemistry, which led to conflicts among lecturers, university administrations and the Ministry of Public Education, are considered. During this period, the authorities tightened control over the national factor of university teachers. At the end of the 19th century the Ministry of Public Education demanded to strengthen the Russian element in the teaching staff, refrained from hiring teachers of the Jewish and Catholic religion. The article also considers the problems of scientific trips of teachers abroad and the use in teaching students of foreign experience in teaching chemistry.