Wageningen University launches Summer School for scientists of NUBiP of Ukraine
On June 30, 2025, a two-week summer school for representatives of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine started on the basis of Wageningen University (WUR, Netherlands). Lecturers, scientists and young researchers of NUBiP of Ukraine took part in the program.
The Summer School program is aimed at strengthening the educational and scientific potential of NUBiP of Ukraine in the interdisciplinary research using the Climate–Food–Water (CFW) approach. The focus is on challenges related to ensuring food and water security in the context of climate change and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
The first day was dedicated to getting acquainted with the training program and the WUR team. In their opening remarks, the program coordinators — Vanya SIMEONOVA, Sigrid WERTHEIM-GEK and Maryna STROKAL congratulated the participants. Participants learned more about the structure and approaches of Wageningen University to the organization of interdisciplinary education, in particular in the agricultural, environmental and water fields.
Special attention was paid to systems thinking and transdisciplinarity in solving complex problems in the field of food and the environment. During the workshop «Multi-, inter - and transdisciplinary systems» (moderated by Gillian ST'YUDENT), participants worked out examples of practical application of a systematic approach to the formation of sustainable strategies in the agri-food industry.
In the afternoon, Vanya SIMEONOVA presented policies and programs of the European Union in the field of research and innovation in food systems and the environment for 2026-2027, as well as discussed key EU priorities in the context of climate challenges.
After a brief introduction to group work from representatives of NUBiP and Wageningen University, participants began the first practical team task session, which lasted throughout the summer school.
The summer school is only part of the ongoing collaboration between NUBiP and WUR, which continued within the framework of the CLIMAGRI4Ukraine projects (2022-2024), continues in Horizon Path4Med (2024-2028), as well as the Erasmus+ interinstitutional mobility agreement (2023-2027).
The event is aimed at developing knowledge that would later be scaled in the Ukrainian educational system, and NUBiP itself is considered as a National Center for spreading practices, tools and approaches to ensuring the sustainability of the Ukrainian agricultural sector in the post-war period.
Elyzaveta DIDUR,
specialist of the international
relations department
