Lecturers of the Department of History of Ukraine, Economic Theory, and Law, the Department of Botany, Wood Science, and Non-Timber Forest Resources, and employees of the University's Legal Department took part in the Training "Peculiarities of Pretrial Investigation of Criminal Offenses Against the Environment", which was held in Kyiv from May 30 to June 1, 2023. The event was organized by the public union "World Nature Fund of The event was organized by the public union "World Nature Fund of Ukraine" (WWF-Ukraine) as part of the SWIPE (https://stopwildlifecrime.eu/) project. The national report on crimes against wildlife in Ukraine for the period 2015–2020 can be found at the link: https://wwfcee.org/pdf_collections/25/2022-02%20WWF-UA_SWIPE_national%20report_UKR.pdf. One of the organizers of the training was the legal adviser of UNFU, a lawyer and senior expert on socio-political issues at WWF-Ukraine, Sofia Shutyak.

During the training course, the practical aspects of conducting an investigation of criminal offenses affecting the environment and conducting investigative (search) actions taking into account national and international law were considered. The discussion was attended by representatives of customs, law enforcement agencies, the court, the prosecutor's office, the national police, the legal community, the Ministry of Environment, the World Wildlife Fund Ukraine, scientific organizations, and institutions that developed methodological and educational materials for the training.

All Training participants received Certificates of participation in the event.

It should be noted that this year the university licensed a new educational and professional program "Environmental Law", specialty 081 Law, which will allow the training of highly qualified legal specialists capable of solving complex specialized tasks and solving problems in the field of law in practice, protecting and representing the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities, in particular in the field of environmental protection.

Yesterday, June 13, the rector of the Ukrainian National Forestry University, Volodymyr Zahorskyi, and the director of the Technical College of UNFU, Roman Dadak, gladly welcomed Viktor Lyseik, a 1986 graduate of the Mechanical Faculty of UNFU, to the walls of his native Alma Mater. He is the commander of the anti-tank guided missile battery of the 24th of the separate mechanized brigade named after King Danylo and a member of the ATO since 2015. However, at the moment, he is not commissioned due to his health.

With words of gratitude, he came to meet the university administration and volunteers, Lyubov Sheptytska and Maryan Bodnar, our defenders, to whom the university community transferred UAH 70,000 in September 2022 for spine surgery.

Since the beginning of the aggression of the Russian Federation, the forest engineers have been acting unitedly and actively resisting the enemy—some fight at the frontlines, others become reliable rearguards and help. Together to victory!

From June 5 to 9, 2023, the Super-intensive Block Week 2023 of the Green Project Development Management (GPDM) training course and the Interactive Content (IC) training took place at the Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development (Germany) as part of the international project "Joint Teaching and Learning for Empowerment and Resilience of Ukrainian Academia".

A delegation of participants from the Ukrainian National Forestry University, including the project manager (Vasyl Lavniy), lecturers-developers of the GPDM course (Orest Kiyko, Ihor Solovii), and lecturers-developers of the IC course (Ulyana Pavlyuk, Ihor Kroshnyi, Oleksandr Storozhuk), teachers, and graduate students, had the opportunity to chat live with German colleagues and exchange ideas for future cooperation.

Block Week's program included daily lectures and group practicals, independent work, and participation in collaborative activities including a symposium, public presentations, and wrap-up meetings.

Part of the participants, teachers and students of UNFU, namely Lyuty Pavlo, Volyanyk Halyna, Yaroslav Palyga, and Taras Borovych, joined the work online through BigBlueButton tools and, together with the training team, used the Interactive Content electronic course developed in LMS Moodle.

During the week, six sessions of group work took place, as a result of which participants presented team projects on selected topics (T-Project) and a general team interactive project (X-Project).

Six representatives of the Ukrainian delegation (Yurii Miklush, Nataliya Nalivayko, Olesya Bryn, Solomiya-Iryna Salabai, Nadiya Yurkiv, and Halyna Ortynska) presented group T-projects from Team Forest, Team Eco, and Team Woodworking. The current topics of the presentations and the skillful use of modern technologies and services (H5P, Lumi Education, Google Earth Studio, Canva, etc.) caused a lot of sincere emotions among the German colleagues and the Ukrainian delegation. In their projects, the participants of the IS training presented the advantages of joining the Ukrainian National Forestry University, conducted an overview of the structure of the forest, which allows you to study its components and study biodiversity and ecological importance, and also impressed the audience with an emotional video about the inevitable losses that the war caused to the nature of Ukraine. The community of UNFU had the opportunity to vote for the best interactive video presentation. The winners of the vote were Team Eco, who received a proposal from the university management to use an interactive video for career guidance purposes.

A separate X-project from the IC training delegation was an interactive thank-you video to the organizers from Eberswalde, which combined a huge amount of video footage of the participants of the training course about the most interesting locations from both universities and demonstrated how close our friendly universities are.

In turn, the students of the GPDM course (Risna R., Skrypets S., Chukhna P., Kondratyuk L., Shutyak S., Shvedyuk Y., and Tom Wils) presented the results of their research (individual presentations) on the topics of the seminars of the Block Week program, revealing topical issues of environmentally friendly transformations, "green" workplaces, educational initiatives, "smart" forests, best practices of sustainable forestry management, digital innovations in the forest sector, bioeconomy and biodiversity, combating climate change, etc.

Also, during the week, there were 5 sessions of work in groups, as a result of which GPDM participants presented the main ideas of projects based on the selected topics of tender proposals, key goals in the short- and long-term perspective, the content of work packages, expected results, and mandatory stages of implementation of important tasks. An interesting result of the reports was a lively discussion, debate, Q&A session, and advice from the lecturers of the course, Prof. Orest Kiyka and Prof. Igor Solovia. Intensive work in groups turned out to be incredibly productive, and the results were creative and, no less important for the future cooperation of universities, relevant and promising, as evidenced by the favorable reviews of the project leaders, Prof. Pierre Ibisha and Prof. Vasyl Loveny.

An important mission of Block Week was to expand the areas of work on projects, deepen knowledge of project management, study successful examples of project implementation practices in various fields, and get acquainted with the algorithm for preparing proposals for participation in international grant programs. Working in international groups (together with students from the Ukrainian National Forestry University and the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development) contributed to the establishment of connections, effective interaction, and cultural exchange between the participants of the working groups for further active work on the final versions of presentations on project topics.

The mixed format of teaching GPDM and IC courses, the interesting content, relevance, and practical value of lecture materials, and the intensive Block Week program made it possible to expand cooperation between the two universities, continue existing and develop new directions of scientific research, exchange teaching and learning practices, and jointly implement successful educational and scientific initiatives.

Also during the week, a working meeting was held for the exchange of experience between the distance learning coordinators of UNFU and Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Moodle team).

As for the project participants, the highlight of Block Week 2023 was the enchanting participation of the Ukrainian delegation in the intercultural evening.

On the last day of their stay at the University of Sustainable Development Eberswalde, the participants had the opportunity to share their personal impressions of the week spent as well as ideas for future cooperation. The collected reflections will help to improve the methodology and technologies of teaching and learning courses and will also open horizons for further practical application of the acquired skills and abilities of the participants in the international project.

Summarizing the above, we are pleased to invite students of NUNFU and Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development to cooperate. We encourage you to follow the announcements on the official information resources of the universities about the start of the Green Project Development & Management course and Interactive Content training and join the community of creative, progressive, motivated, and highly professional young people who are able to make this world a better place.

Within the framework of the XXIV International Exhibition "Woodworking" and the IV All-Ukrainian Forest Industry Forum on the initiative of the rector of the Ukrainian National Forestry University, member-cor. NAS of Ukraine, prof. Volodymyr Zahorskyi, on June 7, 2023, a working meeting "Industry education: step-by-step approach and cooperation with business" was held.

Representatives of almost twenty specialized pre-higher and professional education institutions met with university management and directors of UNFU educational and scientific institutes in order to consolidate their efforts and coordinate their activities to improve the degree system for training forest specialists.

The participants of the meeting discussed the prospects and priority directions of the development of branch education, regulatory and methodological support for the functioning of educational institutions, state education standards, and also raised the issue of the coherence of educational plans. Since the event took place during the XXIV International Woodworking Exhibition and the IV All-Ukrainian Forest Industry Forum, it was an opportunity to communicate with stakeholders and establish possible cooperation.

The working meeting "Industrial education: step-by-step approach and cooperation with business" took place efficiently and productively. We are grateful for the active participation in the event to the representatives of: Higher Vocational School No. 19 of Drohobych; Ivano-Frankivsk Higher Art Vocational College No. 3; Zhytomyr Technological Vocational College KNUBA; Transcarpathian forestry technical college of NLTU of Ukraine; Kolomyysky VPU No. 14; Kolomyia Polytechnic Vocational College; Kremenets Forestry Technical College; Lutsk VPU of Construction and Architecture; Lviv Higher Professional Polytechnic School; Lviv Higher Professional School of Design and Construction; Lviv Higher Professional Art School; Malyna Vocational College; Prykarpattia Vocational College of Forestry and Tourism; Storozhinetsk Forestry College; Stryi Higher Art Professional School; Technological College of NLTU of Ukraine; Artistic vocational and technical school named after Y. Stanka; Shatsky forestry college named after V. Sulka.

Professional and higher education are not competitors; they should harmoniously complement and strengthen each other. This applies not only to students but also to improving the professional training of teachers. The National Forestry University of Ukraine has every opportunity to become a resource center that could guarantee educational and scientific, personnel, material, technical, theoretical, and methodological support.

Completing the study of the discipline "Economic analysis of investment projects", students of the educational and professional program "Economics of the Environment and Natural Resources,", as well as the educational and scientific program of the same specialty, met in virtual space with Dr. S. Michalakopoulos, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valladolid, Spain. S. Michalakopoulos is an information technology researcher who received a PhD degree from King's College London in 2010. He has over twenty-five years of experience as a researcher and software developer, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, and bioinformatics. Currently works in the forestry sector. Another of his passions is teaching. However, Dr. S. Michalakopoulos has not yet worked with Ukrainian scientists and students, so this meeting was interesting for both sides.

The topic of Dr. S. Michalakopoulos' presentation is "Artificial Intelligence and Ecosystem Services." The concept of ecosystem services is one of the most basic ones in modern ecological and economic discourse. Therefore, in the framework of the discipline "Economic analysis of investment projects", as well as other disciplines of the above-mentioned educational and scientific program, students were told a lot about modern theoretical approaches and methods of determining and taking into account the value and cost of ecosystem services, the role of which is fundamental to human life and well-being.

This lecture introduced students to the modern global practice of using artificial intelligence technologies—a powerful tool for identification and fairly accurate quantitative and qualitative assessment of the structure and composition of ecosystems—for the performance of relevant practical tasks, in particular: preventing the collision of vehicles with animals; sorting wood; identifying plant diseases; determining forest productivity with assessment of site productivity index; classification and monitoring of urban trees; application of LiDAR-3D software for tree description; mapping of sapling placement, etc. It should be noted that the University of Valladolid recently held the conference "Artificial Intelligence in Ecosystem Management", the materials of which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@yuteratvpalencia3661/videos">YouTube.

The second half of the meeting was no less interesting, dynamic, and professional when students asked the speaker questions about artificial intelligence technologies and their application in natural resource management. It is worth noting that Dr. S. Michalakopoulos noted the high level of English and knowledge of information technologies among the students, which contributed to the emergence of an interesting professional discussion.

This meeting broadened the understanding of the practical application of the acquired theoretical knowledge and skills, in particular the tools of artificial intelligence, specifically in the field of nature management, based on the experience and practice of different countries. Perhaps it will influence the topic of students' research or their future professional activities.

On May 29, 2023, the award ceremony of the Lviv Regional Military Administration and the Lviv Regional Council for employees of scientific institutions and higher education institutions of the Lviv Region took place in the House of Scientists. The awards were presented by the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, his deputy, Ivan Sobko, and the director of the Department of Education and Science, Oleg Paska.

"A state has a chance to become a real state when science is alive in it. Even during this war, we clearly see that the war is won by people, but people who are armed with modern technologies and knowledge," the head of the region noted. Maksym Kozytskyi thanked the scientists for the fact that, despite having hundreds of opportunities, they stayed to work in Ukraine.

This year, 306 employees of scientific institutions and institutions of higher education submitted candidacies to participate in the competitive selection. According to the results of the competitive selection, 171 teachers and scientists received regional awards.

Among the laureates is Seneta Zoryana, a graduate student at our university.

"I am sincerely thankful to my native Ukrainian National Forestry University, the teachers of the Department of Environmental Economics and Business, and my scientific supervisor Ion Dubovich for the opportunity to be one of the laureates of the regional award for employees of scientific institutions and higher education institutions of the Lviv region in 2023," said Zoryana when receiving the award.

Starting in 2016, students of UNFU have the opportunity, together with students of Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany), to participate in educational practice, which traditionally took place in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Students at Eberswalde University study the experience of ecosystem management in transformation countries, usually after the collapse of former communist regimes. However, after the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, the visit to Romania was organized for the second time.

This year, UNFU students and teachers had a good opportunity to rejoin educational practice within the discipline "Ecosystem Management in Transforming Countries", which was introduced as an optional component of several educational programs at UNFU. The introduction of this discipline was financed by the German-Ukrainian project "Joint teaching and learning for empowerment and resilience of Ukrainian academia". German partners will be happy to support the decision of the guarantors of the educational programs of UNFU regarding the inclusion of this discipline in the curricula and the expansion of the circle of motivated students who can participate in the expansion of international cooperation at UNFU.

This year, in addition to Ukrainian students and students of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, students and teachers of the State University of Moldova participated in the study of the specifics of ecosystem management in Romania. The event was partially financed by the project of the German academic exchange agency DAAD "Biosphere Forests and Rivers: Building Support Systems and Connections for Conflict Transformation" within the "Dialogue between East and West" program. The educational trip for the Ukrainian participants began with a visit to the Fagaras and Piatra Craiului mountain ranges together with representatives of the Carpatia Foundation. General Director Christoph Promberger delivered a lecture and told about the foundation's main areas of work, including environmental protection, restoration of natural resources, increase of biodiversity, cooperation with local communities, and development of ecological tourism. The report sparked a lively discussion. Students' questions were related to international cooperation, sources of funding, communication with representatives of local authorities, and prospects for involving local residents in the work of the foundation.

The first day of the trip ended with an introduction evening, where all participants briefly spoke about their educational program, scientific interests, hobbies, and motivation for participating in educational practice. The next day, hiking to the Poiana Tamas Wilderness Camp was organized; the length of the route was about 15 km. The group of participants was accompanied by experienced guides. The Director of the Department of Nature Conservation, Mihai Zotta, spoke about the specifics of forestry and hunting in the region, legal aspects, and coordination of national legislation with EU regulations in the field of forest use. The purpose of the trip to the mountains was to investigate the peculiarities of the growth of beech and fir stands of natural and artificial origin, to compare different approaches to forest management, and to assess the impact of climate change on natural ecosystems.

Another interesting location in the training practice program was a visit to the Măcin Mountains. The acquaintance began with a visit to the tourist information center, where the tour guide told the students in detail about the history of Măcin Mountains National Park and the cultural and historical features of the region. A 23-km-long hike made it possible to explore the diversity of the rich flora and fauna of the nature reserve, as well as rare species of plants and animals. There was an opportunity to visit the beech forests of the core zone of the park. In the evening, students shared their impressions, communicated, exchanged opinions, and presented the cultural traditions of their country.

The final stage of the excursion included a visit to the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. In the city of Tulcea, the students met with representatives of various stakeholder groups (the administration of the nature conservation area, researchers from scientific institutions, and representatives of the forestry company ROMSILVA). A lively discussion was followed by students about changes in natural ecosystems as a response to the consequences of climate change, the socio-economic development of the region, strategic directions for the development of nature conservation areas, transnational cooperation, and participation in EU grant programs. After that, the tour participants visited poplar plantations on the territory of the ROMSILVA company's operational forests.

In order to explore different aspects of the management of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, the tour participants were divided into three groups: a visit to the forest in Caraorman, an excursion to the city of Sulina, and kayaking through the channels of the Danube River. A team of participants from UNFU visited the tourist information center in the city of Sulina, where they got acquainted with the history of the development of the biosphere reserve, rare species of flora and fauna, restrictions on fishing, and the socio-economic situation in the region. For a better understanding of modern challenges, it was possible to communicate with local residents and interview employees of the tourist center. A joint discussion and exchange of views took place on the shores of the Black Sea.

We express our sincere thanks to Professor Pierre Ibisch, Professor Martin Welp, project manager Angela Dichte, and employees of the Center for Econics and Ecosystem Management and the Institute of Biosphere Reserve of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. We hope for further close cooperation and the implementation of joint projects.

On May 8–14, 2023, the Ukrainian National Forestry University, together with the University of Applied Sciences in Bern (Switzerland) and the French School of Wood and Bioresources in Nantes, organized a "Special Week" on the basis of the School of Architecture, Wood, and Civil Engineering in Biel (Switzerland). 15 students from three universities took part in the "Special Week," five from each partner university. Anastasiya Udovytska, Olga Soroka, Anastasia Ivanska, Olga Tsunder, and Sofia Skrypets, under the guidance of Halyna Lesyuk, Head of the Mobility Sector of the International Relations Department, took part in the project. "Special Week" has been organized by partner universities since 2017 at the initiative of Prof. Orest Kiyko, Head of the Department of Furniture and Wood Products Technology, and Oliver Jaanke, manager of INNOVAWOOD, professor of the University of Applied Sciences in Bern.

"Special Week-2023" was devoted to the development of tools for the post-war transformation of three Ukrainian enterprises in the forest sector of Ukraine on the basis of the circular economy: the furniture enterprise "Mebli-style", LLC "Millwood" specializing in sawmill and planing production, and a company with the production of wooden houses "Servus". The event was financed by the University of Applied Sciences of Bern (Switzerland), SWISS KRONO, and Kronospan.

To prepare for the week, two online sessions (180 minutes each) were previously held: "Circular Economy", organized on April 19 by Cécile Cam, a teacher at the French School of Wood and Bioresources in Nantes, and Rachel Meili, a teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bern; and "Forestry and Woodworking Sector of Ukraine", organized by employees of UNFU on April 26.

"Special Week-2023" began with the presentations of three Ukrainian companies ("Mebli-style", Millwood," and "Servus") by Halyna Lesyuk and Orest Kiyko. The general manager of Mebli-style, Volodymyr Turchyn, and the general manager of Servus, Andriy Maly, joined the event online and answered questions about the work of their companies and problematic production issues. Afterwards, Cécile Cam, a teacher at the French School of Wood and Bioresources in Nantes, presented the CANVAS business model, on the basis of which students in international groups began to describe the current business model of the company through the prism of key elements (partners, resources, key activities, supply channels, consumers, value proposition, revenue structure, and cost structure). Monday ended with a visit to the local company Syphon AG, which prepares used household appliances and sanitary ware for secondary use (the reuse concept).

Tuesday was dedicated to working with international groups to develop circular economy solutions for Ukrainian enterprises. On Wednesday, the participants visited the parquet company BAUWERK (St. Margreten). After the tour of the production and the presentation of the company, two workshops, "The Future of the Forest Sector" and "Circularity in the Woodworking Sector of Ukraine," were held. Thursday was devoted to work in international groups and a workshop on management of international groups held by Antoine Lebou, manager of the international office of the French School of Wood and Bioresources in Nantes. After that, there was an excursion to the Omega watch museum.

Presentations by student groups were presented on Friday. The students identified the key solutions of the circular economy for "Furniture-style": opening second-life shops, using environmentally friendly raw materials for furniture production and packaging, and designing furniture in such a way that it can be easily transformed. For the Servus company, the students proposed the use of straw as an additional eco-material for the construction of houses, and for the Millwood LLC, which works mainly for export, to focus on local markets to reduce the negative impact of product transportation on the environment.

"I really liked this trip because I gained valuable experience and met new people. Since we have been speaking in English all week, my spoken English has improved a lot. I also learned a lot of new and useful information about the circular economy and the woodworking sector. The time spent with the team and company tours were the most memorable. I am very happy that I am studying at a university that provides such opportunities for students!" Anastasia Udovytska shares her impressions.

Olga Tsunder, who is a participant in the "Special Week" for the 3rd year in a row, notes that the work on the development of circular economy solutions for Ukrainian enterprises was very interesting:

"Our team worked with the data of the Servus company, which is engaged in the creation of houses from SIP panels as well as roof structures. First, we were given the task of researching the company's current business model. We successfully coped with this and found several problems on whose solutions we worked during the week. Our team developed a matrix of solutions for the company, which we divided according to the level of complexity (how much time and effort will be required to implement them) and the level of impact (to what extent this solution will positively affect the environment and the company's work). We also separately presented quick-win solutions that can be implemented in a short period of time. Regarding the financial component, we found state programs that provide loans and grants for the implementation of similar projects (the decision matrix is presented in the photo).

As for the organization of the week, overall impressions are positive. And although the road was quite difficult and the living conditions did not seem too favorable at first, we adapted quite quickly and found our advantages, for example, the fact that we had a great opportunity to get to know students from France better. I can even confidently say that we became friends. Unfortunately, the program of the week was even a little oversaturated. Of course, we gained a lot of new knowledge and skills, but there was no opportunity to spend at least a day walking and talking with each other; this was a little lacking.

At the beginning of the week, we were given the task of describing our expectations for this week in one or two words. I chose Friendship and Experience, and I think those words perfectly describe this year's "Special Week". In general, the impressions are positive, with many new emotions, skills, knowledge, and friends. I would gladly participate again and will definitely recommend this program to other students. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity!".

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Lviv University of Business and Law, the Rector of the Ukrainian National Forestry University and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Volodymyr Zahorskyi, took part in the solemn part of the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Actual Problems of Science and Practice in the Light of European Integration, Globalization, and Sustainable Development" and, on behalf of the UNFU team, congratulated fellow educators on this occasion.

The event was attended by representatives from partner universities in Ukraine and abroad, including Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Nigeria, who constantly support the Lviv University of Business and Law.

Volodymyr Zahorskyi received a diploma from the European Institute of Continuing Education for significant personal achievements in professional activity and a significant contribution to the development of scientific research.

We express our gratitude for the contribution to the development of the educational sector and the implementation of an important task: the training of highly qualified specialists for the future of our country.

Since the introduction of martial law by the decree of the President of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the staff of the Ukrainian National Forestry University not only provides high-quality educational services but also participates in various ways in good deeds, defending the native land at the frontlines or providing other assistance, overcoming all difficulties on the way to victory. We express special gratitude to the scientific and pedagogical workers who defend the state on the frontlines for their strength of spirit and their indomitability, because they are those people who do not naturally hold a machine gun in their hands; their weapon is knowledge, but patriotism and the desire to live in a free country have changed their professional activities. The charitable contributions of employees are aimed at helping military personnel undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. We purchased critical medical equipment for the "Heart and Main Vessels Clinic" of the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region and the ENT Department of the Lviv Regional Hospital for War Veterans and Repressed Named after Yu. Lypy", where the lives of wounded soldiers are saved. Many forest technicians, at the first opportunity, joined a large team of volunteers and dedicated themselves to good deeds, rescuing and helping others, and supporting those who are currently defending our freedom and territorial integrity or are among internally displaced persons.

The team of our university showed such an active position during the All-Ukrainian project "Ukraine. Scientists and educators: indomitable in the war" and received a diploma from the educational leadership of the state for significant contribution to educational, volunteer, and public activities, active resistance to aggression, and loyalty to the Ukrainian idea.

It is pleasant that there are many such caring and devoted people at the Ukrainian National Forestry University; each of them deserves special thanks and a low bow!

In unity, there is strength! Together to victory!