While providing high-tech services, NADRA GROUP encountered a problem where representatives from customer enterprises were unable to utilize the results of the work performed. In order to address this issue, NADRA GROUP initiated the training project.
In 2004, GROUP NADRA established a private institution of higher education for postgraduate studies called the "Tutkovsky Institute". This was built upon the foundation of its scientific enterprise, the "Institute of Applied Geophysics" LLC, which had been in operation since 1996.
The Tutkovsky Institute was named after Pavlo Tutkovsky (1858-1930), an esteemed Ukrainian geologist and geographer, professor at the University of Kyiv. He was among the founders and served as the first chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in 1918. He also organized and acted as the inaugural director of the Institute of Geological Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, serving from 1926 to 1930.
Pavlo Tutkovsky was a truly multi-faceted personality with encyclopedic knowledge across various scientific fields.
As early as the turn of the 20th century, Pavlo Tutkovsky, an academician, proposed a groundbreaking idea for industrialists to repurpose ammonia waste and sulfuric acid into valuable fertilizers for agricultural use. This idea later paved the way for Kyiv's residents to access clean drinking water from artesian wells as a viable alternative to polluted Dnipro water.
Pavlo Tutkovsky brought attention to a range of ecological issues, including preventing forest fires, protecting birds, and enhancing urban landscaping. He expressed his concerns about the Kyiv Royal Garden and Zoo in several popular publications. Moreover, Tutkovsky was actively involved in education and emphasized the importance of instilling in children a sense of responsibility towards nature.
In 1918, the Ministry of Land Affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic founded the Natural Monuments Protection Department, which was soon followed by the formation of a public commission dedicated to nature protection. This commission, led by Pavlo Tutkovsky, made notable strides in its brief existence, including its successful campaign to end logging activities in Holosiivsky Forest in Kyiv, despite facing numerous challenges due to the frequent changes in political leadership.
In 1918, Pavlo Tutkovsky was a pioneer in Ukraine in highlighting the importance of safeguarding geological monuments, an issue that had not been previously addressed.
Since 1919, already an academician, Pavlo Tutkovsky headed the Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine. He did a lot for nature protection, in particular, for creating such nature reserve as Askania-Nova, Kaniv, and Koncha Zaspa. Pavlo Tutkovsky was many decades ahead of his time in many areas.
In 2005, the Institute received licenses from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to provide educational services in the areas "Geology" and "Mining", and later in the specialty "Environmental Safety", with the right to issue diplomas on advanced qualification of the state model.
The Tutkovsky Institute's educational process was facilitated by its various departments, which focus on geology, geophysics, minerals and rational use of nature, as well as environmental and industrial safety. Students of advanced training programs were offered case studies on new oil and gas well drilling technologies, and are introduced to field development management, recovery enhancement methods, geophysical well surveys (GWS) and results processing, which provides them with the necessary experience to apply their new knowledge in practical settings. Based on the experience of implementing advanced training educational programs, the most relevant topics for students include exploration technologies, advanced information technologies in geology, modern methods of geological and geophysical data processing and interpretation, technologies for developing mineral deposits, methods of increasing the efficiency of hydrocarbon deposits development, geological and economic assessment of mineral reserves, geological and economic tools for subsoil use, and more. The topic of HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) compliance during geological exploration works, particularly during expeditions, workshops, and on drilling sites, as well as during the transportation of workers by motor vehicles, has proven to be quite popular among students. Specific examples of works in Ukraine were often used to illustrate this topic.
The Tutkovsky Institute's traditional focus is providing educational services, including upgrading the qualifications of specialists in the geological exploration and oil and gas industries. The Institute also develops and implements educational courses and training programs based on customer needs, organizes and holds seminars with participation from leading geologists and specialists from around the world, and hosts scientific and practical conferences and other informative events. Additionally, the Institute publishes scientific, methodical, and other specialized literature, as well as customer materials in scientific publications.
Since 2009, the Tutkovsky Institute, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Association of Geologists, has successfully implemented the program "Advanced Training of Ukrainian Oil and Gas Specialists for International Cooperation and Work in Western Companies." The program received partner support from companies such as Shell, Halliburton, Regal Petroleum, and Discovery Drilling Equipment, as well as professional international NGOs such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), and the European Federation of Geologists (EFG).
Since 2011, the Tutkovsky Institute has been participating in NADRA GROUP's educational project for student youth called "Earth Depths Spiritual Depths". The project has helped to educate hundreds of schoolchildren throughout Ukraine about the profession of geologist, and the subject "Basics of Geology" is now being taught in specialized schools with an in-depth study of natural science disciplines. Additionally, seminars are regularly held for teachers of geography, as well as representatives of district departments of education in Kyiv, and the Department of Education and Science, Youth, and Sports of the executive body of the Kyiv City Council.
Since 2012, the Tutkovsky Institute has expanded the scope of its educational events and participants in connection with the implementation of "Programs for improving the qualifications of specialists in the geological exploration industry and their adaptation to the conditions of the market economy in order to preserve the personnel and intellectual potential of Ukrainian geology" in collaboration with the PO Ukrainian Association of Geologists. The program was supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine and was initiated by the Ukrainian Association of Geologists to help Ukrainian geologists prepare for the requirements set by their employers. Under the program, companies in need of experts in geological specialties are continuously monitored. The program initiators have the opportunity to study the global market demand for the types of work sought in the exploration and oil and gas industries today. Thus, the market is monitored bilaterally, by both the employer and the future employee.
In 2013, the Tutkovsky Institute organized and hosted two conferences in Kyiv: "Scientific and Methodological Foundations of Medical Geology" and "Scientific and Methodological Prospects for the Development of Geological Education." Additionally, between 2009 and 2013, Donetsk hosted three conferences entitled "Evaluation, Production and Use of Unconventional Gas Types: Attracting Investment."
In May 2013, the Tutkovsky Institute participated in organizing and holding the large-scale conference "Modern Problems of Natural Sciences" to commemorate the 155th birth anniversary of Academician Pavlo Tutkovsky. During the conference, a two-day geological tour called "Routes of Academician P.A. Tutkovsky" was held in Zhytomyr Polissya. It was the same route that Pavlo Tutkovsky himself had worked on almost 100 years earlier.
Since 2017, the Tutkovsky Institute has been implementing a wide range of training programs on project management, including MS Project software, as well as programs designed to prepare students to pass the International Project Management Association (IPMA) exam.
From 2017 to 2018, advanced training courses on "Geophysical Research of Wells through the Use of Modern Technologies" were successfully conducted for specialists from UkrNDIgaz, which is the most powerful gas industry scientific center in Ukraine. The lecturers included geophysicists, prominent scientists, and practitioners such as A.O. Kasyan, O.M. Karpenko, and А.V. Starostin.
In July 2018, the "Geophysical Research of Wells - Modern View" training program was implemented.
In September 2019, the "Practices of Exploration Project Economic Evaluations" lecture was held.
In September 2021, advanced training courses for geologists, geophysicists, developers, and petrophysicists were successfully conducted in cooperation with the Institute of Geology LLC.
The Tutkovsky Institute, with the support of NADRA GROUP, organized training programs and seminars that attracted over 2,000 participants from 120 oilfield service and production companies, including specialists from within the company. The Institute's staff and partners have also contributed greatly to the field of geology, with the publication of over 700 scientific articles, 11 monographs, and the patenting of 35 inventions. Additionally, the Tutkovsky Institute played an instrumental role in publishing 45 quarterly issues of the esteemed scientific journal "Geologist of Ukraine" and three volumes of the "Collected Scientific Papers of the Tutkovsky Institute."
Following the Ukrainian government's decision to abolish mandatory licensing for professional development activities, the Tutkovsky Institute, a private institution for postgraduate education, was re-registered as a limited liability company under the name "Tutkovsky Institute LLC." All subsidiaries of NADRA GROUP were also involved in this activity, each focusing on their respective areas of expertise and managed by the Tutkovsky Institute.