Steps to cooperation with European experts: representatives of the faculty of land management completed an international internship in Warsaw
During 30.11-06.12.2025, the delegation of the faculty of land management of NUBiP of Ukraine was on a business trip to Warsaw (Republic of Poland). The delegation included: professor of the department of land cadastre Yosyp DOROSH, professors of the department of land resources management Oksana SAKAL and Iryna KUPRIYANCHYK, senior lecturer of the department of geoinformatics and aerospace research of the Earth Bohdanna ZAYACHKIVSKA and assistant of the same department Maria ZAVODYANA. The trip was held together with representatives of leading scientific institutions of Ukraine: the Institute of land use, the Institute of water problems and land reclamation, the ESC «Institute of Agriculture», the ESC «Institute of Agrarian Economics.»
On December 01, 2025, a series of scientific seminars organized by the Institute of Rural Development and Agriculture of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN) was held at the Staszycz Palace in Warsaw.
First seminar «Odnowa wsi jako paradygmat przemian obszarów wiejskich w Polsce» was devoted to the renewal of rural areas as a modern paradigm of their transformation in the context of demographic, climatic and environmental challenges. The discussion was considering the mechanisms for strengthening the ability of local communities to respond to external threats, the role of civic engagement in rural development, as well as the possibilities of using European Union financial instruments and national support programs. The main speaker was a deputy of the Polish Sejm of previous convocations Ryszard WILCZYNSKI, who presented practical experience in implementing village restoration programs.
Second seminar «Ukrainian village on the way to the European Union: from data to policy recommendations» focused on a comprehensive analysis of the strategic challenges faced by rural areas of Ukraine in the context of a full-scale war and the gradual progress of the state towards EU membership. The participants reviewed the full analytical cycle: from assessing the current state of the Ukrainian village to forming scientifically based recommendations for state policy. Special attention is paid to the issues of food security, transformation of land relations, ensuring access to basic services, strengthening the demographic sustainability of rural communities and implementing a human rights-based approach. An important element of the discussion was the discussion of the potential of Ukrainian-Polish international cooperation in the processes of restoration and sustainable development of rural areas. Scientific institutions of Ukraine and Polish partners took part in the work IRWiR PAN and leading American experts: Dr. Sachin Shah (USGS, the University of Texas at Austin) Dr. Dhaval Vyas (U.S. Department of the Interior, ITAP). The dialogue was aimed at combining scientific approaches and practical policies — from food security to land relations and demographic sustainability.
The following days (December 2-5), the delegation was working in the format of an international internship in adaptive management «Systems for Adaptive Management that Inform Land and Water Governance in Ukraine». Training led Dr. Sachin Shah, also took part in the trainings Dr. Dhaval Vyas with International Technical Assistance Program. Participants worked out approaches to conceptual modeling of socio-ecological systems, principles of nature-oriented decisions, methods for identifying vulnerabilities and risks, scenario analysis and tools for supporting decision-making in conditions of uncertainty.
The practical essence of the internship was primarily to work in groups: Ukrainian and international experts together modeled real cases, worked out adaptive approaches to land and water management, and looked for ways to apply these methods within the framework of territorial restoration policies. At the end of the course, all participants received certificates confirming their acquired competencies and readiness to implement approaches in scientific and applied work.
The value of internships for the faculty and the country has several dimensions. First, it contributed to the development of a valuable network of professional relations: cooperation with Polish and American Scientists and specialists IRWiR PAN and representatives of leading Ukrainian research institutions create the basis for the development of joint scientific projects and rapid exchange of expert knowledge. Secondly, the acquired adaptive management tools can be used in the nearest future in research and consulting initiatives of the faculty: from assessing the vulnerability of rural communities to implementing nature-oriented solutions in land reclamation and spatial planning systems.
Faculty of land management of NUBiP of Ukraine express their sincere gratitude to the organizers of internships and scientific seminars, in particular Monika STANNY and Vitaliy KRUPIN with IRWiR PAN. Sincere gratitude is also expressed to all partner Ukrainian institutions and international experts for their constructive exchange of experience. Representatives of the faculty of land management returned from Warsaw with new ideas, methodological tools and a vision of further steps aimed at supporting the sustainable development of Ukrainian communities.
