On 26 August 2025, the virtual Kick-off Meeting of the project RECLAIM – Resource Education Cooperation: Laboratory Advancement took place. The project is coordinated by TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany) in cooperation with the Dnipro University of Technology and the National V.N. Karazin Kharkiv University (Ukraine).

During the meeting, the project team introduced the objectives, activities, and timeline of RECLAIM. Special attention was given to the lab-twinning process, which will enable Ukrainian scientists and students to gain access to modern laboratory methods and to integrate them into their curricula. The kick-off also included presentations of the participating institutes, an overview of technical support provided by TUBAFdigital, a session on the financial aspects of RECLAIM, and a presentation of possible cooperation with LabsLand on virtual laboratory technologies. The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, which provided space for discussion and exchange among the partners.

RECLAIM aims to strengthen research and teaching capacities of Ukrainian universities, address the severe loss of laboratory infrastructure caused by the war, and contribute to the modernization of future laboratories. Over the coming four years, the project RECLAIM will develop digital teaching resources, joint courses, and exchange opportunities to support higher education in times of crisis and beyond.

We warmly thank all participants for their active engagement and look forward to the fruitful collaboration ahead.

On 3-4 December 2025, the RECLAIM project - Resource Education Cooperation: Laboratory Advancement was represented at the Kick-off Event of the DAAD programme “German–Ukrainian University Network (Deutsch-Ukrainisches Hochschulnetzwerk, DUHN)”, held in Berlin.

The event brought together German and Ukrainian universities, funding organisations, and policymakers to discuss how academic cooperation can support resilience, recovery, and the long-term development of higher education in Ukraine, with a strong focus on science, engineering, and digital education.

During the poster session, the RECLAIM project was presented to an international academic audience. This provided an opportunity to share the project’s objectives and planned activities, exchange ideas with colleagues from other DUHN projects, and explore possibilities for future collaboration within the DUHN framework.

Participation in the DUHN kick-off event contributed to strengthening the visibility of RECLAIM within the German-Ukrainian academic network and supported dialogue with key stakeholders involved in international higher education cooperation.

Many thanks to the DAAD and the German-Ukrainian University Network team for the excellent organisation of the event.

As part of the RECLAIM project, Ukrainian academic staff participated in a laboratory visit to the Institute of Analytical Chemistry (IAC) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, which took place from 1 to 5 December 2025.

The visit focused on train-the-trainer activities and the video recording of two key analytical experiments: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These methods play a crucial role in modern analytical chemistry but are currently difficult to teach in practice at Ukrainian universities due to limited access to laboratory infrastructure.

During the visit, participants worked closely with the colleagues from IAC to carry out the experiments, discuss methodological aspects, and jointly prepare the experiments for digital use. The laboratory procedures were recorded and structured as teaching materials that will later be integrated into digital and virtual laboratory courses.

The outcomes of the visit will support the substitution of missing laboratory teaching, contribute to the modernisation of curricula, and strengthen staff competences at Dnipro University of Technology and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. At the same time, the lab twinning approach reinforces long-term academic cooperation in analytical chemistry within the RECLAIM project.

From 8 to 12 December 2025, Ukrainian academic staff and students visited the Institute of Glass Science and Technology (IGT) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg within the framework of the RECLAIM project.

The visit placed a strong emphasis on academic exchange and peer-to-peer dialogue between Ukrainian and German colleagues. Discussions focused on curriculum development in glass and materials science, shared scientific and methodological approaches, and the organisation of laboratory-based teaching. Particular attention was given to how practical training is embedded into study programmes at IGT, how laboratory courses are structured, and how digital elements complement hands-on education.

An important part of the programme was the introduction to the laboratory infrastructure and research facilities of the institute. Participants gained insights into modern equipment, experimental workflows, and approaches to organising teaching and research activities in a close-to-practice academic environment. These exchanges provided valuable reference points for the further development and modernisation of laboratory education at the Ukrainian partner universities.

In addition, the visit included train-the-trainer activities and the video recording of the melting of glass experiments. These activities support the development of digital and hybrid teaching formats and contribute to the longer-term goal of substituting missing laboratory teaching where physical infrastructure is currently unavailable.

Beyond teaching-related aspects, the visit also opened up perspectives for future joint activities, including the preparation of collaborative research proposals  and long-term scientific cooperation in the field of glass and materials science. The exchange of research interests and institutional priorities helped identify potential topics for follow-up projects and funding applications.

Overall, the outcomes of the IGT laboratory visit contribute to curriculum modernisation, capacity building of academic staff, and the strengthening of institutional cooperation with Dnipro University of Technology and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. At the same time, the lab twinning process fosters sustainable academic partnerships within the RECLAIM project.

As part of the RECLAIM project, Ukrainian academic staff visited the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering and Mineral Processing (MVTAT) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

The programme was designed as a platform for intensive professional exchange between Ukrainian and German colleagues. Discussions addressed curriculum structures in mechanical process engineering and mineral processing, shared scientific approaches, and possibilities for aligning laboratory-based teaching with current research topics. Particular attention was paid to the organisation of practical training and the integration of experimental work into study programmes.

During the visit, participants were introduced to the laboratory infrastructure and research facilities of MVTAT. The exchange provided insights into modern processing and recycling technologies, laboratory workflows, and didactic concepts for teaching complex process chains under real laboratory conditions. These discussions offered valuable impulses for further developing laboratory education at the Ukrainian partner institutions.

Complementing the academic exchange, the visit also included train-the-trainer activities combined with the documentation of selected laboratory experiments. The recorded materials will support the development of digital and hybrid teaching formats and help ensure continuity of laboratory education where access to physical infrastructure is currently limited.

In addition, the visit opened up perspectives for future joint initiatives, including collaborative research proposals, joint publications, and longer-term cooperation in the fields of mechanical processing, recycling technologies, and mineral processing. The dialogue helped identify overlapping research interests and potential topics for follow-up projects.

Overall, the MVTAT laboratory visit contributes to curriculum modernisation, staff capacity building, and the strengthening of institutional cooperation with Dnipro University of Technology and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, while reinforcing sustainable academic partnerships within the RECLAIM project.

Within the framework of the RECLAIM project, a laboratory visit to the Institute of Thermal-, Environmental- and Resources’ Process Engineering (ITUN) at TU Bergakademie Freiberg was conducted from 15 to 19 December 2025, involving Ukrainian academic staff.

As part of the visit, train-the-trainer activities and the video recording of selected laboratory experiments were carried out to support the transfer of practical laboratory expertise and the development of digital teaching resources for virtual and hybrid laboratory courses.

The documented experiments covered key topics in process engineering, including vapor–liquid equilibrium of a pure compound, enthalpy of mixing of an acetone/water mixture, and liquid–liquid equilibrium of a ternary mixture.

Participants worked closely with ITUN laboratory staff to conduct the experiments, discuss experimental design and safety aspects, and adapt the procedures for didactic use in digital teaching formats. The recorded experiments will form the basis for virtual laboratory units supporting both train-the-trainer activities and educational process.

In parallel, the visit provided space for academic discussions on curriculum structures, teaching concepts, and the integration of laboratory experiments into study programmes. Ukrainian and German colleagues exchanged perspectives on learning outcomes, sequencing of laboratory courses, and the role of digital formats in complementing hands-on training.

The programme also included an introduction to the laboratory infrastructure and research facilities of ITUN, offering insights into modern experimental setups, laboratory organisation, and approaches to linking research and teaching in thermal and process engineering.

Beyond teaching-related activities, the visit opened up perspectives for future cooperation, including potential joint research projects, collaborative funding proposals, and joint publications. The exchange helped identify overlapping research interests and possible areas for continued collaboration within and beyond the RECLAIM project.

Overall, the ITUN laboratory visit contributes to capacity building of academic staff, curriculum development, and the strengthening of institutional cooperation with Dnipro University of Technology and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, while reinforcing sustainable academic partnerships within the RECLAIM framework.