10 December 2025 marked the highlight of the five-day networking event ConnectED. From Collaboration to Impactwhich was organised as part of the DAAD-funded ConnectED project. The aim of the project is to establish a long-term German-Ukrainian university network in the field of environmental protection and nature conservation. The day brought representatives of Ukrainian universities, the embassy, the ministry and the DAAD together at HNEE and engaged in dialogue.

The Networking Day began with a minute's silence - modelled on the daily minute's silence at 9 a.m. in Ukraine, which commemorates the Ukrainians killed in the Russian war of aggression across the country. This shared moment created a calm and respectful basis for further dialogue.

Prof Dr Jan-Peter Mund then welcomed the participants as moderator of the event. Before the programme began, HNEE President Prof. Dr Matthias Barth had already received the embassy counsellor Nataliia Chernopashchenko and Kai Franke, Head of the DAAD Capital Office, for a personal discussion.

International partnerships as a cornerstone

President Barth officially opened the event in the auditorium with a welcome address. In his speech, he emphasised the aim of the workshop week and the joint mission to turn cooperation into concrete impact. This endeavour is closely linked to HNEE's vision of actively shaping social transformation as a university of sustainability.

He referred to the more than 20 years of cooperation with Ukrainian partner universities and emphasised the special role of academic partnerships in times of war - as spaces of solidarity, learning, study continuity and shaping the future together. His first meeting with colleagues from the Ukrainian National Forestry University in 2021 had already impressed him with their commitment and vision. The developments since the beginning of the war showed how important and effective international networks are.

With regard to ConnectED, Barth emphasised the network's potential to deepen existing collaborations, build new partnerships and create a long-term platform for knowledge exchange and capacity development. HNEE will continue to actively support this work.

Voice from Ukraine: solidarity and strength

A particular highlight of the morning was the speech by Nataliia Chernopashchenko, Counsellor of the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany. She gave an impressive account of the conditions under which universities in Ukraine are currently teaching, researching and studying - despite destroyed infrastructure, great uncertainty and personal burdens. Her presentation emphasised how much courage, perseverance and inner strength this work requires and strengthened the sense of shared responsibility in many of those present. Their attentive participation in the subsequent presentations also emphasised the personal significance of the partnerships.

DAAD perspective: funding and future paths

Kai Franke, Head of the DAAD Capital Office Berlin, followed on from this and emphasised the strategic importance of German-Ukrainian university cooperation. He explained the funding instruments with which the DAAD supports partnerships, mobilities and research initiatives and emphasised the role of projects such as ConnectED for academic resilience, study continuity and the reconstruction of Ukrainian institutions.

Poster presentations: Diversity of collaborations

The participating projects and Ukrainian partner universities presented themselves with poster contributions in the auditorium. Current developments, research priorities and new cooperation ideas were presented - from digital teaching formats and forest sciences to sustainability transformation and internationalisation. The presentations emphasised the breadth and dynamism of the network.

Two decades of cooperation

This was followed by a historical review of more than 20 years of cooperation:

• Prof Dr Pierre Ibisch outlined the development from the early field trips to the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve to today's multilateral projects and Erasmus+ formats.
• Prof Dr Jan-Peter Mund presented the emergence and significance of Ukraine Digital and ConnectED.
• Prof Dr Peter Spathelf provided insights into existing research collaborations on near-natural forest management, climate adaptation and ecosystem resilience.

The retrospective made it clear how the cooperation has grown, is based on trust and is also future-orientated.

Strategic perspectives and outlook

Dr Yuliia Nikitchenko, Project Manager of ConnectED, presented the strategic priorities of the network - including joint classes, the development of future joint and dual-degree programmes and the strengthening of the internationalisation capacities of Ukrainian universities. Current challenges and perspectives were discussed in the exchange round "Ukrainian Academia: Visions, Realities, Priorities", including talent drain, digitalisation, European integration and security.

Angela Dichte (HNEE) addressed the social role of universities, particularly with regard to the reintegration of veterans and the importance of the third mission. Dr Ivan Balykin (University of Mannheim) concluded the event with insights into the role of universities as actors for dialogue, inclusion and social transformation.

A network that supports

The network day impressively demonstrated how strong German-Ukrainian university cooperation already is - professionally, institutionally and personally. ConnectED creates structures that are sustainable in the long term: for knowledge exchange, resilience, innovation and the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine.