BEECH POWER supporting cross-border cooperation during a joint excursion in Western Ukraine

Last month, as part of the DAAD East-West Dialogue Programme, 50 students, lecturers and practitioners from Ukraine (National Forestry University, National Transport University, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve), Moldova (Moldova State Universtiy), as well as the BEECH POWER partner Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Centre for Econicsand Ecosystem Management from Germany went on a joint excursion through Western Ukraine. 

During the 10-day study trip, the international Global Change Management students visited multiple locations within the Biosphere Reserve Roztochya and the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, including a wetland ecosystem, clear cut areas, as well as core and buffer zones of different UNESCO World Heritage Beech Forest component parts (Krasna Poloninya, Shyrokyi-Luh and Uholka). On these different sites, the students had the opportunity to learn and exchange knowledge on research about different management approaches with regard to ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change.

Finally, as part of this excursion activity, the students of Global Change Management have developed an online blogwhere they share reflections and impressions about natural resource management and transformation learned during their journey through Western Ukraine.

Strengthening cross-border partnership and cooperation

The DAAD East-West Programme aims to strengthen the partnership and cooperation between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania applying an interdisciplinary development of approaches to solve and prevent conflicts on the basis of a joint situation analysis on site. The project works on the sustainable transformation of the political and socioecological systems, contributing to relevant trainings and exchange of knowledge as well as international networking for representatives of the young generations as future decision-making.

By participating in such excursions and activities, the Interreg BEECH POWER project engages in international cross-border cooperation and research exchange between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, contributing to democracy promotion and sustainable development. This is particularly important in UNESCO biosphere regions, as they can play a pioneering role as places of research and innovation.