In the fall of 1998, Prof. Sergey Firstov invited me to the Frantcevych
Institute for Problems of Materials Science (IPMS) in Kyiv, Ukraine to
discuss possible collaborations in the area of advanced metals research.
During this visit, a strong mutual interest was evident in a broad range
of structural metals technologies, and a quick friendship was
established. Countless subsequent emails and a reciprocal visit to the
U. S Air Force Research Laboratory by Prof. Firstov and a team of
scientists from IPMS ensued to discuss and detail a broad collaboration
in the area of structural metals. Two years after the initial visit, a
major investment by the U. S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research
(AFOSR) was established to pursue the technologies defined by these
interactions. The annual reviews of the AFOSR Ukrainian Metals
Initiative were held in late May, a most beautiful time in Kyiv when the
lilacs are in bright display and the air is scented with the smell of
falling blossoms from the chestnut trees that line the major streets and
many parks. The sunny days and mild evenings provide a welcome break
from winter, and on weekend evenings festive crowds spill onto the
Khreshchatyk, Kyiv's downtown boulevard, to listen to street musicians,
watch jugglers and comedians, or simply to celebrate with friends. The
annual reviews featured long days of intensive discussion of technical
progress, followed in the evenings by the warm hospitality of the
Ukrainian hosts.