USUST chemists awarded a grant for the recovery of Ukraine’s water sector under the Nansen EDU Programme

At the beginning of 2026, faculty members of the Department of Inorganic Substances and Ecology at the SEI ‘USUCT’ of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies joined colleagues from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Ås, Norway), as well as three Ukrainian universities – the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (Rivne), the National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’ (Kyiv), and Lviv Polytechnic National University, and  the NGO ‘All-Ukrainian Water Society WaterNet’ to prepare a funding application for the international project Digital and Green Solutions for Rebuilding Ukraine’s Water Sector (DigiGreen4Water).

 

The project was submitted to the Nansen EDU – Norwegian-Ukrainian Cooperation in Higher Education programme, funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. On 22 May 2026, the results of the competition were announced: among 73 submitted proposals, the DigiGreen4Water project ranked third and was selected as one of 16 initiatives to receive funding.

 

The goal of the project is to strengthen Ukraine’s water sector and enhance university academic  programmes in water supply and wastewater management in the context of wartime challenges and post-war recovery. The project will draw on Norwegian expertise in water resource management to address pressing issues facing Ukraine’s water sector, including damage to critical infrastructure, ensuring the security of water supply systems, and safeguarding the human right to access quality water.

 

Today, the modernisation of water infrastructure remains one of the key priorities of Ukraine’s public policy agenda and its international partners. In 2026, a number of large-scale programmes were launched to restore water supply and wastewater systems and to introduce digital technologies for water resource management.

The implementation of DigiGreen4Water will contribute to the development of the educational, digital, and entrepreneurial capacities of the project participants, support the assessment of sectoral needs, facilitate the dissemination of modern knowledge, and advance post-war reconstruction efforts. Achieving these objectives will involve training for academic staff and students, updating academic content, modernising the department’s laboratory facilities, and strengthening cooperation with water-sector enterprises and local communities.

 

The project’s activities will involve both faculty members of the Department of Inorganic Substances and Ecology and students enrolled in the ‘Ecology and Environmental Protection’ programme (specialty E2 (101) Ecology) and the ‘Chemical Technologies and Engineering’ programme with a professional focus on drinking water technologies and industrial water treatment in inorganic substances production (specialty G1 (161) Chemical Technologies and Engineering).

Project participants will have the opportunity to undertake training and internships during international summer schools at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. This approach aligns with contemporary European practices in educating specialists for the water sector, where particular emphasis is placed on digitalisation, sustainable development, and international academic mobility.

 

An important outcome of the project will be the development of new micro-credential courses addressing current challenges in the water sector:

The development of micro-credential programmes is one of the most promising trends in contemporary European education and an important instrument for implementing the concept of lifelong learning. For the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, this initiative opens new opportunities for creating flexible educational offerings tailored to the needs of the sector and for ensuring the rapid renewal of professional competencies.

 

The project will be implemented from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029.

The award of a grant under the Nansen EDU programme represents significant international recognition of USUST scientific and educational potential. Participation in the DigiGreen4Water project will not only contribute to the modernisation of specialist training for the water sector but will also enable the university to take part in developing innovative solutions for the restoration of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure based on European expertise, digital technologies, and the principles of sustainable development.

 

The Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies extends its sincere gratitude to its partners for their productive collaboration in preparing the project proposal and congratulates all members of the consortium on receiving this international grant.