In May of this year, the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa) welcomed three Ukrainian researchers to the Hof campus, whose research focuses on the field of sustainable water technologies(To the campuls report).
At the end of June, Dr. Harvey Harbach, research group leader at inwa, welcomed further Ukrainian researchers to the university as part of the project “Integration of the ‘sponge city’ concept to develop a model for the sustainable restoration and management of water resources in areas of Ukraine affected by military impacts (IKoMoWa)”. This project is also financed by the BayIntAn funding program (Bavarian funding program for the initiation of international research cooperation).
Meeting at the university in Hof: dialog for a shared future
After a long journey from Ukraine, the delegation from Dnipro State Agrarian and Ecological University (DSAEU) arrived at the Hof campus full of anticipation for productive discussions and the start of joint projects. They were warmly welcomed by staff from the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa), the International Office and the Department for European Funding Applications. The most important topics of cooperation were already defined at the first meeting – the focus was on the restoration of water resources in war-affected areas of Ukraine and the exchange of innovative methods of water management.
The visit to Germany and the exchange with international colleagues pursued three goals: the resumption of academic mobility, getting to know innovative educational experiences and defining joint research priorities.”
Prof. Dr. Roman Novitskyi, Dnipro State Agrarian and Ecological University
inwa laboratories: focus on innovation and aquaponics
The Ukrainian delegation showed great interest during their visit to the inwa laboratories, where the institute’s experts presented modern solutions for monitoring and purifying water. The guests learned about innovative measuring devices for hydrological processes as well as closed aquaculture and aquaponics systems.
Dr. Harvey Harbach, a specialist in aquaponics and biosphere systems, presented his research findings on the integration of fish farming and plant production. Such technologies could be invaluable for the reconstruction of agriculture and food security in Ukraine.
Integrated aquaponics systems enable water conservation while providing high-quality food. We look forward to sharing our knowledge and working together to develop solutions for Ukraine’s needs.”
Dr. Harvey Harbach
Practical approaches: Visit to PPU Umwelttechnik
The program concluded with a visit to PPU Umwelttechnik in Bayreuth, where the delegation learned about industrial technologies for wastewater treatment and efficient water use. A guided tour of the production and research facilities clearly showed how innovations are transferred from the laboratory into practice and used in cities and companies in Germany.
“We hope for joint projects and to be able to use the best German technologies in Ukraine to rebuild and further develop our water management,” commented Dr. Hennadii Hapich from the Dnipro State Agrarian and Ecological University.
Conclusion and future prospects
During the visit, both sides agreed to start preparing joint funding applications within the framework of Horizon Europe and to set up exchange and internship programs for Ukrainian students and young scientists. The active commitment of the professors and staff at inwa underlined their great interest in international cooperation and in maintaining close ties with their Ukrainian colleagues.
It is worth mentioning that the first contacts between the inwa and Ukrainian teams were established at the German-Ukrainian conference in Regensburg in 2023. The current visit was a logical continuation of this cooperation, which is supported by the SCIENCE AT RISK Emergency Office – a project initiated by the Academic Network Eastern Europe (akno e.V.).
In addition, the two teams started planning their first joint scientific publications to share their research results and promote innovative solutions for sustainable water management in both countries.
