Forest science and education in Ukraine: Priorities for action

Sergiy, V., Burns, J., Buck, A., & Kraxner, F. (2024). Forest science and education in Ukraine: Priorities for action. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis , Laxenburg, Austria. 10.5281/zenodo.10803101.

Preview

Text Ukrain_ForestReport.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (5MB) | Preview

Abstract

Ukraine’s forest sector is suffering unprecedented challenges. War has impacted both forests and forestry – devastating forest areas, infrastructure and industry, as well as causing ‘brain drain’ and capacity loss due to the disruption of research institutions and the displacement of students and scientists. These impacts are compounded by factors including climate change, unstable forest health dynamics, landscape fires, and an overall decrease in forest productivity.

To discuss the current challenges and propose solutions, the two-day Forum on Ukraine Forest Science and Education: Needs and Priorities for Collaboration was held from 21-22 November 2023 at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria, and online. The event was jointly organized by IIASA, the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP), and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), with support from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions, and Water Management (BML), and built on previous work by Forest Europe and the International Science Council.

The hybrid forum brought together close to 80 participants – up to 40 onsite and 40 online – including a diverse cohort of Ukrainian forest researchers, early and mid-career scientists, students, representatives of leading European universities, international institutions, and UN organizations including FAO and UNEP-Carpathian Convention (see Annex 1: List of Participating Institutions). Open discussion was supported by Chatham House-based rules – the event was not recorded, and no resulting statements were to be assigned to specific participants. The main aim of the forum was to convene the scientific expertise necessary to catalyze coordinated and impactful international action responding to the needs and priorities of forest research and education in Ukraine.

The forum’s objectives were to strengthen collaboration by providing a platform for discussion and networking among Ukrainian scientists and international peers; facilitate science-policy interaction by elaborating with invited representatives of international policy processes and technical organizations what would be required at the science-policy interface; and identify priorities for forest science collaboration, with particular emphasis on future joint activities such as events, educational tools, mobility and research projects.

Based on the outcomes of the forum, this report identifies priorities for action in forest science and education in Ukraine of relevance to international organizations, research networks and institutes, student organizations, and funding agencies. Priorities and actions are proposed in the areas of forest science for strategy, innovation in forest education, and coordination and collaboration, backed by outcomes from the forum, with the aim of responding to the current challenges, and finding a way forward for the forest sector in Ukraine.

Actions (login required)

View Item