Diana Kaynts, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Urban Construction and Management, member of the Union of Designers of Ukraine, public figure active in the field of Innovative Materials Science and Nanotechnology.

Diana Kaynts’s professional focus organically aligns with the main directions of the SMART City Institute—creating harmonious, ecologically conscious urban environments where innovative architecture is combined with the principles of wellbeing, smart technologies, and the restoration of natural balance in urbanized spaces.

Within the Institute, she works on:

• Developing sustainable architectural solutions that consider the bioclimatic features of the region;
• Implementing decarbonization principles in urban planning and spatial design;
• Renovating the green zones of Zakarpattia using an interdisciplinary approach (landscape ecology + urban studies + optical and acoustic technologies);
• Educational and research programs that combine material science, the latest technologies, and sensory aesthetics in building the cities of the future.

Antonina Devitska, PhD in Linguistics, Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics Department, Mentor, Facilitator, Trainer

As the Director of Humanities at the SMART City Institute, Antonina Devitska plays a key role in shaping the linguistic dimension of innovative urbanism, which lies at the core of the SMART City approach. She actively works on:

• Developing and implementing educational programs on social and emotional learning, mindfulness, emotional intelligence and wellbeing, as well as mental recovery in an urban context;
• Creating courses, lectures, and workshops focused on language as a tool for inner balance and interpersonal ecology;
• Integrating practices of mindful communication, reflection, and creative writing into teaching and learning context, spatial planning, and institutional culture;
• Researching the impact of language on the psycho-emotional well-being of city residents.

Daniel A. Freedman

As the Founder, Chief Visionary, and Artistic Director of the SMART City Institute, Daniel A. Friedman is the author of the vision: the city of the future as an environment of harmony, creativity, and inner silence. His vision is a new type of city where light and sound are the fundamental principles not only of aesthetics but also of human well-being.

Key Areas of Activity

• Light-and-sound spaces for the daytime environment of the metropolis: recovery capsules, the "sanitary theater," and light-and-sound tunnels that offer personal silence in a hyper-urbanized world.
• Nocturnal sensory architecture for well-being: kinetic light-and-sound sculptures, evening meditative events, and audiovisual practices in spherical, womb-like architectures (planetariums, domes) that support empathy, synchronisation, and community.
• New-generation educational programs: creating original courses at the intersection of philosophy, cosmology, light, and music. He aims to establish a new specialisation: the Light Composer—an artist who works with space through artistic light and artistic sound as material.

Contacts:

E-mail: nni-smartcity@uzhnu.edu.ua

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scientific-and-educational-institute-of-multidisciplinary-research-smart-city/

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