An unreported and increasingly costly consequence of the war in Ukraine is the challenge facing its geoscience community. EAGE’s CIO, Peter Verweij, reports on a recent visit to our Kyiv service point.
Remarkably Dmytro Bozhezha continues to manage EAGE services for Ukrainian geoscientists from his office in Kyiv. Despite the massive disruption of Russia’s continuing military assault, he tries to organise three local scientific events per year. At the same he works to preserve a vital link to the outside world for the local geoscience community which has been effectively cut off from normal communications with international scientific colleagues.
Threat to geoscience
As an example of the gravity of the situation, Sergii Vyzhva, director of the Institute of Geology at Taras Shevchenko National University, reports that student numbers have dropped by 70% compared to pre-invasion levels. This decline will have long-term consequences for Ukraine. In addition, male scientists (especially those of military service age) are unable to leave the country to attend EAGE events, despite our hardship programme to enable travel by Ukrainian members. Unfortunately some Ukrainian geoscience specialists work dangerously close to the frontlines, resulting in casualties among their ranks.
During my visit, Dmytro took me to the headquarters of three companies in Kyiv: UkrGasVydobuvannya (UGV), UkrNafta, and DTEK. These companies are actively working to strengthen their connections with European counterparts, something EAGE works to facilitate. In fact, UGV’s manager, Maxim Vytik, delivered a compelling presentation this year at the Annual Conference in Toulouse about exploration under the challenging conditions imposed by wartime, while UkrNafta has participated twice at EAGE’s Annual Conference with a large exhibition stand. We are also exploring possibilities for closer cooperation with DTEK.
International strategy
These major Ukranian corporations can offer significant benefits to the wider geoscience community, providing opportunities for cooperation with European companies and independent professionals. Their focus is access to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and the energy transition in order to develop their own innovative solutions. UkrNafta in Poland and DTEK in the Netherlands have already established regional offices reflecting a clear strategic vision.
Continued support
Although my visit was short, you could not fail to be impressed by the inhabitants of Kyiv. They refuse to be intimidated by their grim circumstances in which their safety and independence are under threat every day. For EAGE’s part, we are committed to supporting the local geoscience community for as long as necessary.
