Impressions of the winner of the BridgeUSA 2025 program, associate professor Olha KRAVCHENKO, on an internship at the State University of New York at Buffalo
In December 2024, our university hosted an online presentation of the programs of the American Councils for international education in Ukraine, during which a new competition for participation in the BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program (UAFP) and the BridgeUSA Ukraine program for Resilience and Reconstruction (UPRR) was announced. These one-month programs create great opportunities for Ukrainian professors to join scientific research in the United States, get acquainted with teaching methods, develop new educational materials, give lectures and establish professional contacts with American colleagues.
In 2024, associate professor of NUBiP Oleksandr SOSHENSKYI became a finalist of the program. The successful experience of a colleague has become an additional motivation to submit one's own application.
After completing all the stages of competitive selection, including an oral interview, I was selected as one of the five winners of the BridgeUsa 2025 program and got the opportunity to complete an internship at the State University of New York at Buffalo, shorter the University at Buffalo, UB.
It is one of the largest and most prestigious public universities in the United States, founded in 1846, today has more than 30,000 students and is one of the leading universities in the country.
The internship took place at the department of biological and chemical engineering under the guidance of professor Haiqign Lin (h-index 56), a leading researcher in the field of modern membrane water treatment technologies.
The work in his scientific group provided an opportunity to get acquainted with current approaches to the development of the latest materials and join research activities that are of great practical importance.
The internship program was designed in such a way as to combine scientific work with participation in the educational process. I managed not only to observe the conduct of classes, but also to join the teaching of the discipline Agroecology, where I, in addition to delivering lectures, present projects of the agrobiological faculty of NUBiP of Ukraine aimed at introducing modern agroecological practices.
This was an important stage in the exchange of experience and discussion of further joint initiatives.
Most of the time was devoted to working meetings and consultations. In total, more than 25 meetings were held to discuss areas of potential cooperation between departments, faculties and research groups of theUniversity at Buffalo and divisions of NUBiP of Ukraine — in particular the department of analytical and bioorganic chemistry and water quality and the agrobiological faculty.
These discussions provided an opportunity to outline real prospects for joint research projects and academic initiatives.
As part of the internship, I also took a course of Laboratory Safety, successfully passed the final exam and received the appropriate certificate, which provided access to full-fledged work in the University's laboratories. Of particular importance to me was the university seminar, where I made a report on the environmental consequences of military operations and threats to the water systems of Ukraine.
I was genuinely impressed by the number of participants and their support — many came up after the speech to express solidarity with Ukraine and interest in our topic.
In addition, I had the opportunity to attend the gala dinner of the American Chemical Society, where Professor Lin received the Jacob F medal. Schoellkopf for 2025. Participation in the event was an opportunity to get acquainted with the professional community of chemists in the United States and expand the circle of contacts.
I hope to participate in the BridgeUSA program Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction (UPRR) will become the basis for further cooperation between the University of Buffalo and NUBiP of Ukraine. Several joint initiatives are already planned for the next semester, including an on-line course of lectures from UB professors, as well as a series of workshops for graduate students and young scientists.
I express my boundless gratitude to the rector of NUBiP of Ukraine Vadym Anatoliyovych TKACHUK, the management of the University, the faculty of agrobiology and the department of analytical and bioorganic chemistry and water quality for their support and assistance in organizing the internship.
And I would like to remind you along the way that a new selection process for the 2026 program starts on December 01. I am sure that among the winners there will again be a representative of NUBiP of Ukraine.