The sixth annual “TOP Student Thesis with Innovative Potential 2026” competition brought significant success to the Faculty of Science at UPJŠ in Košice. Bc. Svitlana Vanchak, from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Science at UPJŠ, won this year’s new award: the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Rector’s Award, for her research in the Health category.
The competition, organized by the Technical University of Košice (TUKE) and Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia in cooperation with Pavol Jozef Šafárik University and the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (UVLF), once again bridged the gap between academic research and real-world practical needs. Among the 76 final theses submitted from the three universities in Košice, the innovative approach of a UPJŠ student to diabetes diagnosis stood out in the overall evaluation.
An Eco-Friendly and Low-Cost Insulin Sensor
The award-winning thesis “The Use of Recycled Materials in the Development of Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Bioanalytes” focuses on the use of recycled graphite in combination with a natural binder, coconut oil, to modify the surface of a carbon electrode. Svitlana Vanchak thus created an experimental basis for a low-cost and environmentally sustainable sensor platform designed to measure insulin and other biologically significant analytes. Six types of recycled graphite, supplied by FECUPRAL, were experimentally characterized and compared. The most suitable sample even exhibited more favorable properties than high-purity commercial carbon materials.
“This award-winning thesis demonstrates how chemistry, circular economy, and modern sensor technologies can be integrated. At the same time, the use of recycled graphite confirms that sustainability can be a natural part of technological innovation. This is one of the reasons why the first UPJŠ Rector’s Award in this competition holds special significance for us,” said Prof. MUDr. Daniel Pella, PhD., Rector of UPJŠ in Košice.
The Košice Innovation Ecosystem in Action
The awards ceremony took place on September 24, 2026, at the University Science Park in Košice. In addition to a student from UPJŠ, representatives from other universities in Košice also received awards. In the Digital Business, Manufacturing, and Society & Art categories, students from the Technical University of Košice won the TUKE Rector’s Award, while research from UVLF took top honors in the Health category.
The TOP Student Thesis competition once again confirmed that linking academic research with the IT and industrial sectors creates a strong foundation for the development of innovations with both commercial and societal potential. The award-winning theses demonstrate that innovation does not have to begin in a company’s R&D center; it can emerge as early as a bachelor thesis, master thesis, or doctoral dissertation.
We warmly congratulate our student on her extraordinary success and for representing UPJŠ!
Photos: Marcel Bolžidar
