UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension webinars on animal health and dairy production are now available in Ukrainian, opening a new channel for agricultural education in a country where war has made travel and in-person training increasingly difficult.
The project, a partnership among Penn State Ag Sciences Global, Penn State Extension, BRIDGES Agricultural Extension Center in Kyiv, and the Woskob New Century Fund, is believed to be the first time a U.S. university extension program has been translated and offered in Ukrainian.
The translated webinars are designed for Ukrainian farmers, livestock producers, university faculty, students and industry associations. The first series includes three webinars covering calf disease prevention, milk quality and udder health, and efficient feeding and handling facilities for sheep and goats.
“For practical people who are on the ground here, this is a very useful format,” said Vlad Konovalchuk, a Penn State alumnus and co-founder of BRIDGES. “Ukrainian producers can log in and have free access, so we’re all excited.”
Konovalchuk, and his business partner and spouse, Lina Dotsenko, have spent decades helping connect Penn State expertise with Ukrainian agriculture.
Konovalchuk earned master’s and doctoral degrees in agricultural, environmental and regional economics from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Dotsenko, who has a doctorate in economics, came to Penn State through a U.S. Department of Agriculture faculty exchange program. She has expertise in agricultural extension education and consulting.
After returning to Ukraine, the pair founded BRIDGES, which now serves as Penn State’s primary partner in the country. The organization connects Penn State researchers and educators with Ukrainian universities, producer groups and agricultural professionals, helping to tailor training and outreach efforts to local needs.
Dotsenko said the webinar topics were selected to reach a broad audience across Ukraine’s livestock sector. While Ukraine is a major producer of grain and oilseeds, many farms also raise livestock for meat and dairy production.
She added that the country’s sheep and goat dairy industry has grown significantly over the past decade, with producers developing specialty cheeses that now reach international markets.
“We tried to pick topics that would cover a lot of people and universities involved in research, teaching and production,” Dotsenko said. “The seminars are well structured, concise and explain difficult topics in simple language that is very understandable.”
The webinars were chosen in part because the topics are broadly applicable to both U.S. and Ukrainian agricultural systems. Konovalchuk said the team intentionally selected content that was not overly specific to a particular climate or production environment.
BRIDGES coordinated the translation, which involved multiple rounds of review in which Konovalchuk and Dotsenko refined the material. The project also included professional dubbing in Ukrainian and technical production to synchronize narration with the webinar videos.
Konovalchuk noted that online educational resources have become increasingly important in Ukraine as wartime conditions continue to complicate travel and in-person gatherings.
“There are no flights, and a lot of people have difficulty traveling,” Konovalchuk said. “A lot of things are done online now, and webinars are a very convenient way to study.”
He added that educational collaborations have taken on added significance as some international exchange and assistance programs have been reduced in recent years.
With the translations complete, the project is shifting its focus to outreach.
This month, organizers plan to host a roundtable discussion in Kyiv that will bring together university representatives, agricultural associations and members of the Ukrainian parliament. The event will highlight Penn State’s longstanding work in Ukraine and introduce participants to the webinar series.
The team also plans to translate additional webinars this year to expand the collection into a more comprehensive set of resources on milk production and cattle health. Longer term, Konovalchuk and Dotsenko said they hope to add webinars on other agricultural topics such as fruits, vegetables and mushrooms while continuing to promote the resources through universities, producer groups and social media.
Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the college’s first activities in Ukraine. In 1992, the Woskob family helped open the door for an educational exchange program with the National Agricultural University in Kyiv. Since then, the college has developed relationships with eight other agricultural universities in Ukraine. George and Nina Woskob, of State College, continue supporting Ukrainian programs started by their parents and expanded them over time with new contributions.
The Woskob New Century Fund has supported the exchange of faculty and students, seminars, cultural programs, collaborative education, and research and extension initiatives. Those efforts have aimed to promote partnerships, build institutions and strengthen networks that support Ukraine’s agricultural sector.
“The college is grateful to the Woskob family of State College for their willingness to support projects like this that facilitate continued partnership and growth despite the challenges presented by the Russian war against Ukraine,” said Deanna Behring, assistant dean and director for Ag Sciences Global.