Introductory speech at the autumn school within the framework of the Erasmus+ CBHE ForestPost project (20.10.2025, online)
On October 20–24, 2025, the National Forestry University of Ukraine (NUBiP) hosted the Autumn School within the framework of the EU-funded Erasmus+ CBHE project “Modernisation of Master’s Programmes to Support the Transformation of the Forestry Sector for Post-War Green Recovery of Ukraine (ForestPost)” (Project No. 101179074 ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE).
The Autumn School marked the start of activities under Work Package 3 and focused on the topic “Dual Education and Problem-Based Learning for Enhancing Forestry Education”. The programme included academic seminars and workshops on dual education models, didactic tools, curriculum development, and group work on new learning modules.
The opening of the Autumn School brought together academic staff from five Ukrainian and European partner universities, national forestry stakeholders, and representatives of associated partners. The event highlighted the importance of higher education institutions’ engagement in sustainable, practice-oriented education for the green recovery of Ukraine.
Svitlana SHYTIKOVA, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office – Ukraine, joined the Autumn School and presented the wide range of Erasmus+ projects supporting Ukraine, emphasising the relevance of the ForestPost initiative for restoring the environment, particularly war-affected forests. She underlined the critical importance of competences and skills promoted by the project for Ukraine’s green, digital, resilient, and EU-integrated education system.
The project supports the development of innovative and labour market-relevant master’s level curricula through dual education principles and close collaboration with forestry enterprises. Participants discussed project-based learning, didactic innovations, and sustainability-focused education.
It is important to note that ForestPost is the first Erasmus+ CBHE project coordinated by the National Forestry University of Ukraine, with the participation of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, State Biotechnological University, University of Valladolid (Spain), Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany), and Transilvania University of Brașov (Romania), and 33 associated partners including enterprises, companies, research institutions, and NGOs.
The project’s mission is to enhance synergies between universities and employers in the forestry sector for Ukraine’s green recovery. It includes the development of 12 new courses and foresees that students will spend at least 27% of their study time in enterprises to gain practical “green” skills and competences in forestry, environment, management, and sustainable technologies.