Teachers of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine participated in an online course organized by the University of Tennessee with the support of the U.S. Department of State

September 20, 2021

    Teachers of Professor Anton Skorohodko Department of Veterinary Hygiene completed the course “Prevention of misuse of experience and implicit knowledge in the field of dual-use research in Central/Eastern Europe and Baltic States”, conducted with the support of the U.S. Department of State. Among the participants were Head of the Department, Mariya Kucheruk, Professor Svitlana Tkachuk, Associate Professor Mariya Galaburda and Assistant Valeriya Yustinyuk. This course was developed and organized for representatives of research institutes, universities, government laboratories and institutions in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, namely Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Georgia and Lithuania in order to present possible malicious use of research results and promote implementation of measures aimed at preventing the activities of revisionist states, which support biological weapons programs.

 

    The course consisted of two parts: self-study of materials on the online platform of the University of Tennessee and a three-day online conference. The participants were able to work on such important issues as the potential use of biological agents as weapons and problems that arise during dual-use research, learn about new technologies that have dual use, and learn to identify effective methods of planning and monitoring their own research, including those of comprehensive verification of distributors and manufacturers of all necessary materials, equipment and reagents. Working in groups during an online conference, the participants had the opportunity to share the achievements of their countries in the field of dual-use research, discuss pressing biosafety issues and suggest problem solving strategies.
 

Despite the different levels of economic development of the countries that joined the discussion, the same problems were voiced, namely the failure to pay sufficient attention to dual-use research by the state, lack of legislation and effective control, inadequate research funding and many others. Such problems can be solved only through interdisciplinary and international cooperation. The course has become a starting point for policy making in the field of biosafety and dual-use research in Ukraine.
 


 

Valeriya Yustynyuk,
Assistant of Professor Anton Skorohodko Department of Veterinary Hygiene
 

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