2025:Program/Peculiarities of organizing the Wiki Science Competition in Ukraine: challenges and prospects
Session title: Peculiarities of organizing the Wiki Science Competition in Ukraine: challenges and prospects
- Session type: Lecture
- Track: Research
- Language: en
đ„ Session recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peculiarities_of_organizing_the_Wiki_science_competition_in_Ukraine%3B_chsllenges_and_prospects.webm đ„
Ukraine's Wiki Science Competition is part of an international initiative promoting science through visual representation. Since its inaugural national edition in 2015, the Ukrainian competition has significantly evolved in categories and organizational approaches. This report will compare the 2019 and 2024 editions, highlighting changes in nomination categories, participation requirements, evaluation criteria, and security-related restrictions. Special attention will be given to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war on the competition's format and logistics. In 2023, a special award was introduced to acknowledge the effects of the war in Ukraine, including images of damaged equipment, evacuated laboratories, and memorials to fallen scientists. The presentation will discuss key organizational challenges and outline the competition's role as a tool for science communication, collective memory, and community resilience.
Description
The Wiki Science Competition in Ukraine is a segment of the international Competition, designed to promote the dissemination of scientific knowledge through visual representation. This initiative allows scientists and science communicators to showcase their work in an open setting, fostering the development of accessible educational and scientific resources. The competition made its debut in Ukraine in 2015, introducing an innovative approach to science communication through photography. Since then, the contest has experienced several significant changes. In 2019, it featured seven categories, including Astronomy and Collages, which were subsequently eliminated. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was adapted to a more streamlined and digital-friendly format. Organizers introduced remote communication tools, instructional videos, and infographics to enhance participation and broaden outreach. The five main categoriesâPeople in Science, Microscopy, Living Organisms, Non-photographic Media, and General Categoryâwere established as standard and will continue through 2024. A significant development occurred in 2023 with the introduction of a special award category that focuses on the impacts of the war in Ukraine. Participants are now invited to submit images depicting destroyed research infrastructure, tributes to fallen scientists, and evacuated laboratories. This initiative reflects the competition's responsiveness to the current social and historical context, contributing to the preservation of memory and the acknowledgment of the resilience within the scientific community. The full-scale Russian war in Ukraine in 2022 presented new challenges, including safety concerns for participants, restrictions on photographing certain locations, and heightened scrutiny of submitted content. The 2024 regulations explicitly prohibit uploading images that could reveal sensitive information, such as the locations of scientific facilities or strategic infrastructure. This shift places an increased responsibility on both organizers and participants to strike a balance between transparency and national security. Despite the challenges faced, the competition continues to draw a diverse audience, ranging from students to professional researchers. All submissions are required to be licensed under CC BY-SA, which promotes free and open reuse with appropriate attribution. This approach facilitates the worldwide dissemination of visual scientific content and enhances the integration of Ukrainian science into the global knowledge ecosystem. Submissions are assessed by an independent jury based on four key criteria: scientific relevance, quality of description, usefulness for Wikimedia projects, and aesthetic appeal. Special emphasis is placed on bilingual descriptions (in both Ukrainian and English), which are mandatory and play a crucial role in the evaluation process. This presentation will examine the competitive landscape's transformation from 2019 to 2024, emphasizing the impact of the pandemic, wartime conditions, and social fluctuations. Additionally, it will highlight prospects for the contestâs development, including institutionalization through academic platforms, collaboration with museums and universities, and the incorporation of educational components. The Wiki Science Competition in Ukraine transcends a mere gallery of scientific imagery; it serves as a chronicle of contemporary science, merging visual documentation, public engagement, and cultural memory. This initiative illustrates how science can remain visible, relevant, and resilient, even in the face of significant challenges.
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 â Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
This session demonstrates how an international initiative like the Wiki Science Competition can be localized to reflect national challenges while remaining globally impactful. It highlights inclusivity by encouraging contributions from scientists, students, and photographers regardless of institutional affiliation. It emphasizes impact through the creation of openly licensed, high-quality scientific visuals that enrich Wikimedia projects. Finally, it supports sustainability by fostering a culture of open access, preserving visual records of science â especially in times of crisis â and reinforcing the role of Wikimedia as a platform for long-term knowledge retention.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Resources
Speakers
- natlastovets
- I am a Ukrainian historian, lecturer, and active member of the Wikimedia movement. I hold a PhD in History and work as a senior lecturer at the Department of Ukrainian Studies at Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics.
- I started editing Wikipedia in 2013 and became actively involved in 2017. Since 2018, I have been a member of Wikimedia Ukraine, later joining its Board, where I was responsible for the community engagement and participation support direction. I regularly conduct educational and outreach events, including Wikipedia training sessions for educators, students, and members of civil society.
- Since 2020, I have been actively engaged in organizing the Ukrainian edition of the Wiki Science Competition.