New correspondent: Maryna Prokopenko from Sumy State University, Ukraine

Today our team was strengthened by a student from Sumy State University in Ukraine. Her name is Maryna Prokopenko, a very active master student, doing a Marketing Program after finishing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. In her home region she seas many examples of heavy weather due to climate change. Maryna will assist us to unroll Cool Down The Planet and is very motivated to help us find suitable subjects to be featured in her country. We first asked her to answer some questions by mail.

Marina, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Maryna Prokopenko. I’m a first year master student of Marketing Program at Sumy State University (Ukraine), after I obtained the bachelor’s degree in the same field and in Informational Technology Program in the same university. During my studying, I completed two training courses in International Marketing at University of Bielsko-Biala (Poland), one course in Time Management at Professor Dr. Assen Zlatarov University (Bulgaria), courses in Information Systems and Management Modeling, Data Base and Information Technology at Ilia Mechnikov University (Ukraine).

What motivated you to choose for the study that you’re doing?

When I was studying at Gymnasium I decided it will be good to try make people happier by helping them to sell and buy products and services that they like, and to promote social problems in that way that people will really start thinking about it solving and their contribution to this. So, I started to read some articles in marketing, participate in different conferences, courses, workshops and to get acquainted with people who work in this field. Than I completed exams and entered the university. Motivated by this great interest, I twice became the best student in science in 2014 and 2016 years, participated and organized some conferences, youth exchange and summer schools. And using my knowledge I`m really working in marketing sphere more than 1 year.

What are your ambitions? How would you like to develop your future career?

First of all, I will finish my master program in December, 2018 and I would like to continue my studying in PhD program to work in research field in the future and to became more professional specialist. During my studying, I was working as a marketeer in companies that produce different products: from bags to training courses and now I`m working in clothes design company to gain experience and make my own business in the future.

Do you see any consequences from climate change in your region? If yes, can you give an example?

Yes, indeed. A lot of changes – and Ukrainian cities are regularly suffering from anomalous earlier rainfall. For example, on the Odessa in September in one day resulted in three monthly water rates – a real tropical rain, to which communal infrastructure is simply not ready. Municipalities have already started to flush drainage drains and purchase equipment to prevent flooding. But the cleanest downpours are not enough, because the problems of Ukrainian cities are deeper – most of the underground collectors that hold rainwater, even Soviet, are designed to be in a moderate climate. In the same Dnipro their number should be increased three times.  In Sumy where I live, last summer a hurricane with a hail has already passed of such force, which has never been in the region. My friends and I were at that time in a tent camp in the forest. After the hurricane, trees fell and some tents were torn by branches and ice. It was terrible. Also, due to climatic changes, Ukraine “moved” 400 kilometers to the south, which for agriculture means other cultures and conditions for their cultivation.

What do you consider is a strong quality of the Cool Down The Planet formula? 

Climate changing is a global problem. Many people see it, but are not willing to solve it. At the same time, the world population has contributed to the problem, so together we should try to solve it. As for me, the Cool Down The Planet is the first great international platform that really can put together specialists in different fields that in cooperation with each other can design solutions that will save our planet.