The Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) continues to lead in sustainability and international collaboration. This fall, the university will reaffirm its top position in the UI GreenMetric ranking and expand its role in the ConnectED German–Ukrainian network. Through EU-funded projects like CireHive and SysMind, policy dialogues, and student initiatives, UNFU integrates sustainability into education, research, and governance – contributing to Ukraine’s green recovery and European future. UNFU also supports academic reform through the national UIHERP program.
The Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) continues to demonstrate leadership in promoting sustainability, European integration, and international cooperation through research, education, and institutional development.
Driving EU Integration and Public Governance Reform
UNFU experts recently joined national institutions such as the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service, UN Women Ukraine, and leading Ukrainian universities to discuss Ukraine–EU relations. The agenda focused on implementing European values in public governance, aligning Ukrainian legislation with EU law, and strengthening social dialogue as a mechanism for post-war recovery and sustainable development.
Pioneering International Sustainability Projects
UNFU plays a leading role in two major international initiatives:
- Under the Horizon Europe CireHive project, led by Prof. O. Kiiko, UNFU contributes to developing biodiversity footprints and natural capital accounting tools for a circular bioeconomy.
- Through Erasmus+ SysMind, led by Assoc. Prof. L. Maksymiv, the university is helping reimagine sustainability education, with a focus on ethics and intercultural values.
ConnectED
A New Chapter in German–Ukrainian Cooperation. In 2025, UNFU continues its long-standing collaboration with Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and Sumy National Agrarian University through the newly launched ConnectED: German–Ukrainian University Network for empowering Higher Education in Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation. This initiative, supported by DAAD and ERASMUS+, brings together at least 25 universities to promote academic exchange, joint teaching, research, and institutional capacity building. ConnectED offers both online and in-person formats, with activities hosted in Germany and, subject to safety conditions, across Ukrainian partner universities.
GreenMetric Leadership and Campus Sustainability
From September to October 2025, UNFU will once again work to secure its top national position in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, a global benchmark for campus sustainability. The university has begun assembling an extensive body of evidence across six key groups of indicators: settings & infrastructure, energy, waste, water, transportation, and education – demonstrating its all-encompassing approach to sustainability (https://nltu.edu.ua/novyny/nltu-ukrainy-sim-rokiv-nezminnoho-liderstva-u-reitynhu-ui-greenmetric).
Active Civic and Creative Engagement
The university’s commitment to sustainability also extends to its students. Various student-led initiatives – Guild of Landscape Architects, Ecology and Socioecology, Protected Areas Circle, Student Theriological Society, and Svitovyd cultural union – foster ecological awareness, creativity, and social responsibility.
Policy and Legal Dialogue for Forest Sector Reform
In July 2025, UNFU hosted a high-level roundtable with FAO experts on sustainable forest governance and legal reform. The university also led a seminar on modernizing Ukraine’s Forest Code, supporting steps toward EU integration in the environmental and forestry sectors.
Academic Leadership and Institutional Development
UNFU continues its participation in the Academic Managers Professional Development Program, part of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s flagship reform initiative with the British Council and the World Bank under the UIHERP project. Through workshops, strategic planning, and cross-university collaboration, UNFU is contributing to long-term higher education transformation in Ukraine. Read more on LinkedIn #UIHERP #academicmanagersua)
