Marking one year from the starting of the twinning partnership a delegation from Newcastle University, led by Dr Dana Ofiteru, met with their counterparts from the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (NUWEE) in Rivne, Ukraine, headed by Prof Ievgenii Gerasimov. The meeting took place in Krakow, Poland.

Newcastle University delegation included staff from School of Engineering, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences and School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. The meeting was organised as part of the twinning grant PEACE-R2UK funded by Universities UK International and was hosted in the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, University of Agriculture in Krakow and at the Institute of Water Engineering and Water Management, Krakow University of Technology.

Key discussions centred around the critical issue of water security in Ukraine, a topic in line with the research promoted by Newcastle University Centre for Water. Both delegations emphasized that it is crucial that water and wastewater infrastructure are included in the reconstruction plans for Ukraine and planned to draft a statement paper on this subject to feature in the events prepared as World Water Day 2024. As part of the twinning partnership development, a future COST action proposal around resilient water management to tackle natural and human hazards was outlined. The two host Polish institutions expressed their interest in being involved in the development of the proposal.

During the three-day event, the delegates also discussed with their Ukrainian and Polish counterparts specific research projects to be pursued following the collaboration enabled by the twinning grant. Action plans on strategic NU – NUWEE research areas were agreed on topics including water security, agriculture and rural development, built environment and green infrastructure, hydraulic modelling, and biological wastewater treatment.

During the first year of twinning partnership between NU and NUWEE, two groups of Ukrainian exchange students joined Newcastle for one semester, supported by Newcastle University Development Trust.  The successful Peer Assisted Learning programme delivered online by Language Resource Centre was also expanded to include NUWEE academics. The twinning partnership was a central part of the Excellence in Internationalisation award won by Newcastle University this summer.

Scientific and educational cooperation

During the first year of twinning partnership between NU and NUWEE, two groups of Ukrainian exchange students joined Newcastle for one semester, supported by funding from the Newcastle University Development Trust.  The University has hosted 13 students so far and they have attended programmes in the School of Computing, the School of Engineering, the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University Business School and the School of Arts and Cultures. The successful Peer Assisted Learning programme delivered online by Language Resource Centre has supported over 100 NUWEE students with their English language learning so far and has been expanded to include NUWEE academics. The twinning partnership was a central part of the EAIE Award for Excellence in Internationalisation won by Newcastle University this summer.

Dr Ofiteru said: “The current twinning grant allowed us to engage with our NUWEE colleagues and identify common research areas. We have organized a very successful summer school in Newcastle and we are keen to keep supporting them in these challenging times. The meeting in Krakow was part of our broader plan and in the expectation that the twinning funding scheme will be continued”.

Professor Claire Walsh, Director of the Centre for Water said: “This programme of work aligns with our expertise in water security, with many of the challenges currently facing water infrastructure and water resources in Ukraine, aligning with themes of research and capacity development recognised in our recent award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize”

Professor Ievgenii Gerasimov said: “As a result of the twinning grant, we have developed sound research collaboration between the scientists of both universities. Our step-by-step cooperation gave us the possibility to determine the most important directions for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure in Ukraine during and after the war. The twinning grant laid the foundations for future scientific and educational cooperation in different directions, especially connected with water security and sustainability development.”