Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture visited the Estonian University of Life Sciences

Rector Ülle Jaakma, along with the directors of the university’s institutes—Aret Vooremäe, Marek Metslaid, and Toomas Tiirats—introduced the guests to the university’s research directions and higher education system. The Estonian University of Life Sciences is already involved in several ongoing projects aimed at enhancing the capacity of Ukrainian universities. For instance, in the area of continuing education, the European Union’s Erasmus+ program often supports such cooperation. A recently launched project, Domani, focuses on developing micro-degree programs for Ukrainian and Mongolian universities in collaboration with other countries, while the ClimEd project aims to support the creation of online courses (MOOCs) that can accommodate a large number of participants simultaneously.

Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture also met with Ukrainian students studying at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. Students in environmental management, with a focus on climate change, emphasized to the minister the importance of incorporating environmental protection into agricultural development to preserve Ukraine’s natural resources. The Estonian University of Life Sciences is also well-placed to share its knowledge on sustainable agriculture with its Ukrainian colleagues.

The delegation was also given an in-depth introduction to veterinary education. Toomas Tiirats, Director of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, and Associate Professor Piret Kalmus presented the university’s animal clinic. Piret Kalmus has an excellent collaboration with Ukraine’s Bila Tserkva University, where she has continued to teach as a visiting professor even during the war. For her efforts both as a lecturer and as a volunteer in support of Ukraine, Piret Kalmus was awarded the Estonian Order of the White Star, Class IV, by the President of the Republic of Estonia this year.

Rector Ülle Jaakma stated that, in addition to promoting mobility among researchers and students, and developing cooperation in continuing education, the university can share its experience with Ukrainian partners in aligning veterinary medicine systems with European Union requirements. "We hope to see the end of the war in Ukraine soon, and then we can reconsider how to support the rebuilding of the country. Minister Vitaliy Koval pointed out, as an example, that Ukrainian agricultural machinery may need to be adapted to meet the needs of those injured on the front lines. This is one area where the experts from our fields of technology and ergonomics can assist with their competence in agricultural machinery," said Ülle Jaakma.

The representatives of the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture were in Estonia at the invitation of the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture.