Sumy National Agrarian University brought together environmental experts, students and scientists from the region during a series of brainstorming sessions “Green Managers: Personnel for the Green Reconstruction of Ukraine” organized by the PAEW Association.
The Association of Environmental Professionals (PAEW) is a center of combined expertise of environmentalists, designers, ESG managers, lawyers, and the only professional trade union of environmentalists in Ukraine that has managed to unite more than 7,000 professionals for professional growth, experience exchange, implementation of environmental reforms, and green reconstruction (website: https://pae.com.ua/). To achieve its goal, the association cooperates not only with business, government, and communities, but also with scientists and educators.
A series of brainstorming sessions was held in 8 cities of Ukraine. It was not without reason that Sumy NAU became the venue for the event held in Sumy on April 2. Our higher education institution trains future ecologists, conducts research, and implements international environmental grants, such as Soil Experts(https://soil-expert.snau.edu.ua/), which trains experts in restoring soils damaged by military operations, and the Organic project(https://organic-eu.snau.edu.ua/).
In addition to PAEW, the event was initiated by the Office of Sustainable Solutions, the United Nations Development Program UNDP, and the Swedish government. Together with PAEW President Liudmyla TSYHANOK, the participants discussed aspects of environmental reforms and European integration, ways to solve waste management problems, environmental impact assessment, and international experience of green transition. The issue of the need to change the educational interface between the academic sector and the real needs of the Ukrainian economy was particularly heatedly discussed.
In her opening remarks, Liudmyla TSYHANOK noted that holding such workshops would yield positive results and give impetus to improving not only the environmental sphere, but also the educational one:
“The series of brainstorming sessions will end with recommendations to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The results will not be a “piece of paper” but will help the Ukrainian people to develop.”
