New Scientific School of KSADA

The article touches upon the formation of the scientific branch of Design and Visual Arts at KAII and then at KSADA. This branch originates from the intensification of the art history movement of the end of the 19th – the first third of the 20th centuries in Kharkiv, and its decline in pre-war times as a result of pressure on Ukrainian culture and Soviet repressions. The starting point of the current stage in the development of scientific research in the then KAII should be considered 1989, the time when “one-time” postgraduate students appeared in various specialties, among which Technical Aesthetics and later Fine Arts predominated. The defense of the first Ph. D. in Art History and Design Studies laid the scientific potential of the higher educational institution for decades. Since the beginning of the 20th century a full-fledged process of creating a scientific school at the Academy has been taking place. This was influenced by the involvement of a professional team of the Scientific Department, which contributed to the effective work of the already permanent Postgraduate Study, a scientific journal, the first specialized Academic Council on Technical Aesthetics (later on Design) in Ukraine, and the research sector. During this time, a significant number of scientists of the Academy were trained, which made it possible to expand scientific specialties (Fine Arts), both in Postgraduate Studies and in a specialized Academic Council, and subsequently open Doctoral Studies. During this period significant work was done concerning a change in the old concept of the specialty of Technical Aesthetics, which originated from the Soviet understanding of design theory to the involvement of European practice of Design Studies, using the most accepted term Design. Materials are given on the scientific journals of the Academy, ways of their development in international databases. The summary material for the last 20 years on the development of applied (fundamental) research topics and projects by scientists of the Academy is valuable. All this influenced the fact that subsequently Postgraduate Studies and a specialized Academic Council were in demand, and trained scientists, working in Ukraine and in Europe, Asia and the USA. In modern conditions, there has been a transition to a new practice of training postgraduate students and Doctors of Philosophy in Design, Fine Arts, Decorative Arts and Restoration. The existence of permanent scientific and artistic schools, their areas of research and differences are presented. All this gives grounds to speak about the existence of the fundamental basis of the modern Art and Design higher educational institution.