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Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences hands over laboratory equipment to its partner university in the Ukraine
It was not a gift in the true sense of the word that Dmytro Sysa and Serhii Veremeychik had brought with them from Ukraine and presented to Professor Marco Winzker: a shapeless piece of metal the size of a matchbox, mounted on a wooden board. The rusty-brown piece of debris, the visibly touched Vice-President of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences learned from his guests, came from a Russian shell that devastated one of the buildings of the Chernihiv Polytechnic National University.
Dmytro Sysa and Serhii Veremeychik had to travel a good 2000 kilometres in their van to get from Chernihiv in the north-east of Ukraine to Sankt Augustin. It was important to them to personally pick up the freight, which was ready and waiting at the German partner university. The most valuable part of the cargo consisted of hard-to-find electronic components that are to be used to set up a laboratory for digital communication technology at the Ukrainian university. Scientists from the H-BRS had previously discussed with their Ukrainian partners what could be a promising field of research and what equipment is needed for it. The electronic components were purchased with the help of monetary donations that members of the H-BRS had been paying into a specially set-up donation account since December last year. An urgently needed power generator had already been financed from this budget in April.
"The images of the badly damaged university buildings made the impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine even more clear and personal to us," says H-BRS Vice President Winzker, who helped organise the fundraiser. "Our colleagues in Ukraine are doing their utmost to shape Ukraine's future with teaching and research in these difficult times. This deserves the greatest respect. By equipping the Digital Communication Technology Laboratory, we are sending another sign of our solidarity and I thank all the university members who donated."
The partner university of the H-BRS, Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, was hit hard by Russian bomb and shells in March 2022. About 4000 square metres of windows were shattered. The entire heating system was destroyed, roofs and walls were severely damaged. In addition, much of the IT equipment and research equipment was lost. Since then, university staff have been working with a lot of commitment and improvisational talent to repair the buildings and laboratories.
In accordance with the wishes of the partners in Ukraine, the H-BRS has also provided computers, monitors, printers and WLAN amplifiers in addition to the laboratory equipment that had previously been discarded. IT equipment is in great demand at the Ukrainian university, because students can still only participate in seminars and lectures online - a return to the campus is considered too dangerous in view of possible missile attacks at any time.
The cooperation between Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the Ukrainian Polytechnic University has existed for more than twelve years. Scientists from both sides have conducted joint research, for example on temperature control based on artificial neural networks for injection moulding machines. Ukrainian researchers were regular guests at the university, and Ukrainian students wrote their theses in Germany. Dr Oleksandr Velihorskyi acted as mediator and interpreter at the most recent fundraising event. The scientist from Chernihiv works at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Technical Journalism at the H-BRS. Actually, he had wanted to end his research stay in Sankt Augustin in February last year. But just one day before he was due to fly back to his home country, war broke out there. The H-BRS made it possible for him to continue his research in Germany. Velihorskyi hopes that the students in his home town will soon be able to return to campus. However, he is still sceptical in view of the ongoing fighting and is therefore working on expanding online teaching. For example, together with colleagues at the H-BRS, he has set up a remote lab where students can conduct experiments on electronic components from a distance.
For the visiting scientist, there is no question, just as there is for Professor Marco Winzker, that the cooperation between the two educational institutions will continue. There are several ideas for joint projects. For example, Dmytro Sysa and Serhii Veremeychik had Professor Winzker show them the new, intuitive film studio at the H-BRS before they set off on their 2000-kilometre journey back to Ukraine. "We remain in exchange about this," says Winzker. "If our Ukrainian partner university wants to set up something comparable, we will be very happy to support it."
Press images: Donation handover in Sankt Augustin. Photos: Kira Wazinski (1 to 3) and CPNU (4 to 6)
Kontakt
Marco Winzker
Vice President Teaching, Learning and Digital Transformation/Teaching area digital technology and fundamentals of electrical engineering
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 248
Address
Grantham-Allee 20
53757 Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 603
Jürgen Bode
Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, Professor at the Department of Management Sciences (Rheinbach Campus), Alumni Commissioner
Location
Rheinbach
Room
B 124
Address
von-Liebig-Straße 20
53359, Rheinbach
Telephone
+49 2241 865 604Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 235
Address
Grantham Allee 20
53757, Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 604
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 240
Address
Grantham-Allee 20
53757, Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 9560