The National INTENSE Doctoral School
The National INTENSE Doctoral School in Ukraine (https://intense.network/intense-school/intense-ua/link opens in new page, https://ecology.karazin.ua/mizhnarodna-dijalnist/intense-integrated-doctora/intense-shkola-doktorskij-riven/link opens in new page) is a joint doctoral education initiative in environmental studies established as an outcome of the Erasmus+ project INTENSE – Integrated Doctoral Program for Environmental Policy, Management and Technology. Founded in 2019 through an agreement between V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Odessa State Environmental University, and the Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the school was created to strengthen doctoral training, international academic cooperation, and research capacity in environmental policy, management, and technology in Ukraine.
The INTENSE School introduced a new model of collaborative doctoral education based on joint supervision, academic mobility, shared curricula, and international research cooperation. Its educational framework combines environmental sciences, resilience, sustainability, disaster risk management, and post-crisis recovery, while also supporting interdisciplinary research and integration with European higher education standards. Since its establishment, the school has become an important platform for connecting Ukrainian doctoral students and supervisors with European academic networks and research infrastructure.
The Erasmus+ SUNRISE project builds directly on the achievements of the INTENSE School and supports its further restructuring, capacity development, and long-term sustainability. Within SUNRISE, the INTENSE network serves as a core framework for resilient doctoral education in Ukraine, especially in the context of war-related disruptions affecting higher education and research institutions. SUNRISE strengthens the school through new digital research-training infrastructure, updated curricula, co-supervision opportunities, webinars, summer schools, and living laboratories focused on environmental resilience and post-war recovery.
Recent developments demonstrate the continued growth and adaptation of the INTENSE School under SUNRISE. The SUNRISE consortium has launched a dedicated research-training system for the doctoral school, including blended-learning tools, e-science support, and e-portfolios for PhD students. New doctoral-level courses and webinar series have been developed, while Ukrainian PhD candidates receive co-supervision and academic mentoring from European partners. Living labs established in Kharkiv, Lviv, and Odessa provide opportunities for applied research on environmental recovery and resilience.
At the same time, SUNRISE supports the institutional continuity of the INTENSE School by ensuring stable access to digital infrastructure and international cooperation mechanisms despite wartime conditions. The project has also contributed to the development of resilience guidelines, dissemination activities, and stakeholder engagement initiatives that further strengthen the school’s visibility and role in Ukraine’s academic and environmental recovery.
Recent SUNRISE activities have additionally focused on reflecting on the experience and future perspectives of the INTENSE School in Ukraine. Dedicated round-table discussions and dissemination events have brought together Ukrainian and European partners to discuss the achievements of the original INTENSE initiative, the challenges currently faced by doctoral education in Ukraine, and the integration of the INTENSE model into SUNRISE activities.
