Kharkiv-York Partnership Towards a Zero Pollution Environment in Post-War Ukraine
With the UK–Ukraine Research and Innovation (R&I) twinning grants, Karazin Kharkiv National University and the University of York have worked to set the foundations for a long-term research partnership.
Research to reduce pollution
Our joint-research focuses on the assessment, mitigation and prevention of chemical pollution of the Ukrainian environment. So far, we have hosted an online training course in pollution science, a PhD summer school, academic visits from Ukraine, and a final project workshop.
These actions have created a community of UK and Ukraine-based researchers who have the knowledge and skills to research and address the major chemical pollution challenges that will be faced by Ukraine as it emerges from the war.
Online training in pollution science
10 students from Karazin Kharkiv National University (KKNU) participated in an online course on chemical pollution.
The summer school
Eight PhD students from KKNU travelled to York, arriving on 5 July to take part in the summer school. Each student was assigned to a research group and given a project to work on which best matched their research interests and PhD projects.
As well as the eight PhD students, four academics from KKNU spent time in York at the beginning and end of the summer school. The focus of their visit was to meet with academics, institutes and departments at York that would allow them to further enhance the partnership between the universities and identify opportunities for further collaboration.
Final project workshop
Taking place between 29 and 30 August 2023, this workshop joined together staff and students from KKNU and York, as well as external attendees from the Conflicts and Environment Observatory, Norwegians People Aid, and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
Presentations from staff and students
Several members of staff from York and KKNU presented their recent work. Professor Neil Bruce, from the University of York, presented work his work on “Engineering transgenic plants for the phytoremediation of explosives pollution”. While Professor Andriy Achasov and Professor Ganna Titenko, from KKNU, presented their work on the “Peculiarities of assessment and restoration of Ukrainian soils disturbed as a result of hostilities”.
Each of the KKNU PhD students presented a summary of their research project and explained what they had gained from the experience. Colleagues from the Conflicts and Environment Observatory ran a session on “site identification and prioritisation”. The workshop concluded with a session creating a road map of initiatives that could be progressed to reduce pollution in Ukraine.