Geography in the challenging times: Strengthening Cooperation with Karazin University in Kharkiv

Between June 30 and July 4, 2025, the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, welcomed Dr. Yuliia J. Serzhantova , Assistant Professor and PhD candidate at the Department of Physical Geography and Cartography  of the Faculty of Geology, Geography, Recreation, and Tourism at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University  – one of Ukraine’s most prestigious universities, distinguished by its association with three Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Economics. On July 1, 2025 , Dr. Serzhantova met with Michal Gallay - Vice-Dean for External Relations, and Dr. Katarína Onačillová , Erasmus+ coordinator at the Department of Geography. During the meeting, she was introduced to the main research and educational activities at UPJŠ and its Faculty of Science, with a special focus on the profile of our department. The program also included a visit to our GIS and Remote Sensing laboratories , where a professional discussion took place on the use of satellite and UAV technologies in precision agriculture and in managing war-affected landscapes. On July 3 , Dr. Serzhantova presented at the department’s seminar, introducing her university, faculty, and department. She outlined the structure of study programs, research activities, and educational approaches, which closely mirror those at our faculty. This alignment creates excellent opportunities for student mobility, joint research initiatives, and knowledge exchange  in the fields of geography, GIS, and remote sensing. Particularly inspiring was her overview of their field research station near Kharkiv , which serves as a base for practical training in soil sampling, biogeographical mapping, hydrological measurements, and the use of meteorological data from their own station network ( meteo.physgeo.com ). The station also hosts a permanent GNSS observation site  that enables high-precision RTK measurements, offering students valuable hands-on experience in satellite geodesy. In addition, EUMETCast  satellite reception technology is integrated into teaching, allowing access to real-time meteorological and Earth observation data. The department also operates its own geoportal  for sharing research results with the public. Dr. Serzhantova also described how education and research at her university continue despite the shelling and ongoing threat of Russian war, highlighting the unwavering commitment of the academic community under extremely difficult conditions. Her talk was followed by a discussion with PhD students and academic staff of our department. The Faculty of Science at UPJŠ has long-standing partnerships with the Faculty of Physics at Karazin University , primarily through collaboration with our Institute of Physics . We aim to build on this foundation by fostering new partnerships in geography, geoinformatics, and remote sensing , thereby expanding interdisciplinary cooperation between our institutions.