Ukrainian and German lecturers design joint modules - and benefit from each other: EdUp is the name of a TUBAF format that brings together lecturers from different international universities. The focus of the Erasmus+ project, which has been running since November 2023, is on cooperation with Ukrainian universities. The "Exploring Mineral Collections in the Digital Space" teacher twin recently hosted two researchers from Dnipro National Technical University in Freiberg. Dr Yevheniia Dementieva and Yelyzaveta Bodriaho brought part of their university's collection with them and created digital copies of these objects on the petrographic scanners in the ScienceLab at Freiberg University Library. Their students at DniproTech will be working with the digital copies in the future. One of the contacts at TUBAF is Anja Weber, PhD student and research assistant at the Institute of Mineralogy, while Lena Bussmann Fuentes coordinates the Teacher Twins in the TUBAFdigital project office.
Dr Dementieva, Ms Bodriaho, we're meeting you both in the ScienceLab. What are you working on at the moment?
Yevheniia Dementieva: We are currently scanning part of the thin section collection at TUBAF. We have already finalised the Ukrainian samples. Now we are digitising a small part of the TUBAF collection so that we can show it to our students and explain the petrographic features of the collection from Germany to them.
You are working together on a teaching cooperation programme. What exactly is a "Teacher Twin", Ms Bussmann Fuentes?
Lena Bussmann Fuentes: You could also call it a co-teaching project. The basic idea is that teachers from different universities - some from similar subject areas, some interdisciplinary - develop teaching materials or entire courses together.
We already see digitised material here. What role does this material play in the course?
Anja Weber: Digitisation is very important, especially for thin sections and ore sections. This allows students to analyse the samples without having to sit directly in front of the microscope. Digitisation is also a step towards sustainability, as these sensitive objects are preserved in the long term. Once the extensive collections have been digitised, they can be made accessible online. This reaches a wide audience and protects the originals from damage or loss.
Teaching under wartime conditions
Mrs Bodriaho, Ms Dementieva, how is teaching currently going at your university in Ukraine since the Russian attack? Is there anything like normality?
Yevheniia Dementieva: In cities that are safer, teaching is taking place on site. At our university, we teach partly online and partly offline.
If there are air raids, we have shelters in the basement - our university was founded in 1899 and has stable basements. We continue teaching there. We also have an online platform - Moodle - where students can view teaching materials and lectures. It's hard, but nothing is impossible for Ukrainians - we are strong.
Yelyzaveta Bodriaho: After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Ukrainian students have shown remarkable resilience.TUBAF was one of the first universities to actively support Ukrainian researchers. We are deeply grateful to TUBAF for supporting Ukrainian teachers and researchers, and we also want to express our sincere thanks to the Rector. In the EdUP project, which continues the long-term cooperation started within the SUUUpoRT program.
Yevheniia Dementieva: This project means a lot to us because it shows that we are not alone. It's a great opportunity for long-term collaboration. The digitalised material helps us to create online lectures for students who cannot come to the university in person. We are also planning an atlas with our samples. This will be a great help for teaching.
In times of war, it is certainly difficult to use or protect a collection like this. Can you use the laboratories at the moment?
Yevheniia Dementieva: Some of the laboratories are also located in the basement, where our sensitive equipment is safely stored. We continue to work despite the war.
What are the advantages for the project partners in Germany?
Anja Weber: We learnt a lot from working with the two guest teachers. The samples they brought with them were different sizes to ours. We had to think about how to deal with them and ended up 3D printing special sample holders. We can now use them to digitise other collections. This is very practical and expands our possibilities. That's why we discussed with Professor Gerhard Heide and Dr Christin Kehrer from TUBAF, Professor Maryna Ruzina from DniproTech and other colleagues how we could continue our collaboration.
Will there also be joint seminars with German and Ukrainian students?
Lena Bussmann Fuentes: That is possible. There have already been such joint seminars in other Teacher Twin projects.
Yevheniia Dementieva: We would be very happy to see our students in laboratories at TUBAF. Science knows no borders.
Lena Bussmann Fuentes: We in Europe in particular should be interested in exchanges across national borders. It's a great opportunity for German and Ukrainian students to get to know each other and familiarise themselves with the other culture and living situation. We want to continue to promote this.
Anja Weber: The Institute of Mineralogy in particular is very committed. I would like to mention Dr Christin Kehrer from the Geosciences Collections, she has dedicated a lot of time to the whole thing. And Professor Heide, without his commitment many things would not have been possible. The two weeks were a great experience and we would like to continue this.
The EdUp project is coming to an end soon. Are there any future prospects for further teacher twinning projects?
Lena Bussmann Fuentes: Yes, we have already submitted several follow-up applications and have more ideas in the pipeline. At the moment, it is still unclear how we will be funded, but we are in close contact with our partners - including new ones. There is a lot of interest in continuing the concept.
Exchange of expertise
The project is then perhaps also an impetus for other collaborations within the EdUp programme?
Lena Bussmann Fuentes: Yes, definitely. TUBAF has benefited greatly from this collaboration - also on an individual level. We have been able to organise around ten such projects, which have led to innovative teaching materials and approaches. Such international collaborations bring new impetus and inspiration. We are very pleased that many Ukrainian partners were willing to work with us. The aim is not only to exchange inspiration, but also expertise - two experts from different countries can learn a lot from each other.
Will the material also reach TUBAF students in the future? Will it be available online?
Anja Weber: Yes, that is planned. We are developing a small course for which TUBAF students can receive credit points. It will use material from Ukraine as well as from TUBAF - and vice versa. It is intended as a long-term cooperation.
The acquisition of the specialised petrographic scanners in the Freiberg University Library was made possible by investment funds from the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWKT). The Axioscan 7 for thin sections and Axio Imager for microsections are located in the library's ScienceLab. In addition to the university library, the Chair of General and Applied Mineralogy at TUBAF is committed to using the rare specialised equipment, which is now also being used for this EdUp. Professor Gerhard Heide comments: "I see great potential in the collaboration with the partner university Dnipro Tech in the field of machine learning. IT skills are much more developed in the specialist disciplines and we complement each other perfectly. I am impressed by the self-image of teaching and learning with objects, which immediately connected us."
