On March 5, 2025, a press conference was held for the international ERASMUS+ project “ReGrow: Reviving Agricultural Growth in Post-Conflict Ukraine and Georgia with Transitional Economies.” The initiative aims to support the advancement of agricultural education and the recovery of the farming sector in regions of Ukraine and Georgia affected by conflict. The event brought together leading academics, students, agribusiness representatives, and experts in education and innovative technologies.
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Svitlana Shytykova, National Coordinator of the ERASMUS+ program and PhD in Pedagogy. She emphasised the critical role of international collaboration in rebuilding agriculture in Ukraine and Georgia, highlighting how the ReGrow project creates new opportunities for education, research, and agribusiness.
The project presentation featured Smaragda Nikouli, Project Manager from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), who provided an in-depth overview of the project consortium, its core objectives, and the stages of implementation. Vitalii Merezhko, Deputy Director of the International Agricultural Cluster "Dnister," spoke on the importance of partnerships between academia and industry.
Yaroslava Pylypenko, Project Manager at the Euroregion "Dnister," presented insights on the role of cross-border cooperation in advancing agricultural education. Vladyslav Zubko, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, and academician of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Ukraine, representing Sumy National Agrarian University, introduced participants to modern approaches in precision farming.
The integration of cutting-edge technologies into agricultural education was the focus of a presentation by Kateryna Skyba, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Professor at Khmelnytskyi National University.
She showcased the university’s state-of-the-art laboratories, which are equipped with the latest tools for research in agrotechnology and automation of agricultural processes, essential for training highly skilled professionals for the agricultural sector.
Professor Skyba also highlighted Khmelnytskyi National University’s contributions to the ReGrow project, which include:
- Developing a master’s program in precision agriculture;
- Conducting workshops for educators and employers;
- Creating guidelines for the use of precision agriculture equipment.
Доповідь Mykola Kravchuk, Associate Professor at the Department of Soil Science and Crop Production at Polissia National University, delivered a presentation on the critical role of precision agriculture specialists in modern farming systems.
The press conference concluded with a Q&A session, offering attendees the chance to clarify details of the ReGrow project and explore possibilities for future collaboration.
The ERASMUS+ ReGrow project opens new horizons for the development of agricultural education, the integration of innovative technologies into academic curricula, and the revitalisation of the agri-sector in post-conflict Ukraine and Georgia.