While providing high-tech services, including 3D seismic exploration, processing, and interpretation of geological, geophysical, and industrial data, and implementing other advanced technologies to manufacture tools and equipment, NADRA GROUP companies encountered an issue: geological service specialists from client enterprises were lacking sufficient awareness about fully utilizing the research results provided to them. To address this, in 2004, NADRA GROUP established a private higher education institution for postgraduate education, the "Tutkovsky Institute," based on its scientific division, the "Institute of Applied Geophysics."
The "Institute of Applied Geophysics" was a joint project between NADRA GROUP and the Institute of Geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since 1996, it has partnered with the NAS of Ukraine to carry out numerous scientific projects. Over time, a network of highly qualified specialists formed around the Institute, providing a foundation for implementing training programs to enhance the qualifications of oil and gas industry professionals.
The Tutkovsky Institute was named after the distinguished Ukrainian geologist Pavlo Tutkovsky (1858-1930), who served as a professor at Kyiv University. He was one of the founders and the first chairman of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (1918) and served as the founder and first director of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1926-1930).
In 2005, the Tutkovsky Institute obtained licenses from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to provide educational services in the fields of "Geology" and "Mining" and later – in the field of "Environmental Safety," with the authority to issue state-certified qualification improvement diplomas.
In addition to engaging in scientific research, the Tutkovsky Institute primarily focuses on providing educational services for the professional development of specialists in the geological exploration and oil and gas industries of Ukraine. These services are commissioned by both state and private service and extraction companies.
The educational process was supported by departments covering geology, geophysics, energy, mineral, and water resources, focusing on their efficient utilization, environmental, and industrial safety. This involved developing and delivering educational courses and training sessions tailored to the topics and themes identified by client enterprises.
An important aspect of the institute's activities was the organization and hosting of scientific-practical conferences and other informational events, as well as the publication of scientific, methodological, and other professional literature.
Since 2009, the Tutkovsky Institute, in collaboration with the Public Organization "Ukrainian Association of Geologists" (UAG), has successfully executed the program "Professional Development of Oil and Gas Industry Specialists in Ukraine for International Cooperation and Employment in Western Companies." This initiative was undertaken by the Tutkovsky Institute with the support of companies such as Shell, Halliburton, Regal Petroleum, Discovery Drilling Equipment, and pertinent international professional organizations, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the European Federation of Geologists (EFG), among others.
Since 2011, the Tutkovsky Institute has launched an educational project for school students titled "Earth's Depths, Spiritual Depths." Through this initiative, thousands of schoolchildren throughout Ukraine have gained insights into the profession of geology, and the subject "Fundamentals of Geology" has been incorporated into specialized schools with a comprehensive exploration of natural science disciplines. The institute systematically organized seminars and geological excursions for Kyiv geography teachers and representatives of educational institutions.
Since 2012, the range of educational events has broadened with the initiation of the "Program for the Professional Development of Specialists in the Geological Exploration Industry and Their Adaptation to Market Economy Conditions to Sustain the Human Resources and Intellectual Potential of Ukrainian Geology," supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine. The program facilitated the adjustment of Ukrainian geologists to the demands set by both national and foreign service and extraction companies. Moreover, it enabled to conduct bilateral monitoring of the demand for specialists in the geological exploration and oil and gas sectors from both the employer's and employee's viewpoints.
In 2013, the Tutkovsky Institute organized and hosted conferences in Kyiv on the "Scientific and Methodological Foundations of Medical Geology" and the "Scientific and Methodological Perspectives of Geological Education Development." Additionally, from 2009 to 2013, three conferences on the "Assessment, Extraction, and Utilization of Unconventional Gas: Investment Attraction" were conducted in Donetsk.
In May 2013, the Tutkovsky Institute participated in organizing and hosting the large-scale conference "Current Issues in Natural Sciences," dedicated to the 155th anniversary of the birth of Academician Pavlo Tutkovsky. At the expense of the Tutkovsky Institute, a two-day geological excursion titled "Routes of Academician P.A. Tutkovsky" took place in the Zhytomyr Polissia region.
Since 2017, the Tutkovsky Institute has begun implementing a broad array of educational programs covering project management, MS Project products, and preparation courses for participants aiming for successful examination in the International Project Management Association (IPMA).
Throughout 2017-2018, qualification enhancement courses titled "Geophysical Well Surveys Using Modern Technologies" were conducted for specialists from UkrNDIGaz, Ukraine's scientific centre of the gas industry.
In the qualification enhancement programs and seminars hosted by the Tutkovsky Institute, sponsored by NADRA GROUP companies, participated more than 5,000 representatives from 120 service and extraction companies, both Ukrainian and foreign. The collective effort of the Tutkovsky Institute and its partners has resulted in the publication of over 700 scientific articles, 11 monographs, and the patenting of 35 author's inventions. With organizational support from the Tutkovsky Institute, 45 quarterly issues of the scientific journal "Ukrainian Geologist" and three volumes of "Collected Scientific Works of the Tutkovsky Institute" have been published.