As a co-author of the electronic manual on animal welfare and a developer of updated curricula in this discipline, I have contributed to the creation of modern educational content. This content has been successfully implemented in the Veterinary Medicine programme, as well as the ‘Technology of Production and Processing of Livestock Products’ and ‘Zoophysiotherapy and Animal Welfare’ programmes at S. Z. Gzhytsky Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies. This experience has enabled me to combine theoretical knowledge with practical approaches to ensure animal welfare in various production systems.

I also had the honour of lecturing at a summer school organised by the project participants, where I shared my experience and knowledge with students and young scientists. Additionally, at the International Practical Forum ‘PIGS FARMING’, I presented the project’s results and emphasised the importance of integrating animal welfare principles into modern animal husbandry.

The SULAWE project is extremely interesting, relevant and important for developing education, science and practice in animal husbandry. It promotes European values of the humane treatment of animals and encourages a responsible approach to their care. It also trains a new generation of specialists who are focused on sustainability and welfare.

aking part in this project has greatly enhanced my teaching and communication skills, as well as my international experience. It has also inspired me to continue creating educational materials that combine science, education and practice to improve animal welfare.

In the course of teaching, there was a need to constantly update teachers’ knowledge of software, sensor technologies, and big data analysis methods. The SULAWE project became a powerful stimulus for this development through training courses and international schools.

Thanks to SULAWE project, university students were able to attend training modules at partner universities, as well as participate in joint seminars and workshops that emphasised the importance of animal welfare and digital livestock management.

Teaching the subject of ‘Digital Animal Husbandry’ demonstrated the effectiveness of modern educational technologies and the need to integrate digital competence into all areas of agricultural education. The SULAWE project has created a platform for developing international partnerships, mobility, and knowledge exchange. This contributes to the development of a new generation of specialists who can implement the principles of sustainable development and animal welfare. Experience gained has confirmed that innovative teaching methods and student mobility are essential for modernising agricultural education in Ukraine.

As a result of the project, the discipline ‘Animal Welfare’ has gained new practical content: modern European standards for assessing animal welfare, examples of best practices in farming, and interdisciplinary approaches to solving problems of environmental and ethical responsibility in animal husbandry have been integrated into the learning process.

Visits by teachers to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the University of Ljubljana and the University of Economics and Environment in Nürtingen-Heisslingen were particularly important in the development of teaching materials. There, they learned about modern approaches to organising effective teaching processes and improving the quality of education, particularly in specialised technological disciplines. Learning about animal husbandry on farms that adhere to welfare principles and implement innovative technologies to improve animal welfare conditions was also valuable.

The experience gained was used to develop the electronic manual, ‘Sustainable Livestock Farming and Animal Welfare: SULAWE. Module 2: Animal Welfare’, significantly expanding knowledge of solutions for sustainable agriculture and animal welfare while promoting improved cooperation between businesses and higher education institutions.

Participation in the project has improved teaching quality, developed teaching materials and expanded international cooperation and academic mobility for students and teachers.

In general, the discipline of „Animal welfare“ plays a key role in shaping the worldview of future specialists who can implement the principles of sustainable animal husbandry in practice. The course meets modern European requirements and encourages an ethical approach to animal care.

Given its economic benefits, environmental sustainability and significant social impact, sustainable livestock production is critically important for Ukraine’s economy, particularly in the context of European integration. It is becoming increasingly important in the context of global challenges such as climate change, soil degradation, population growth and increased food consumption. Understanding how to assess the sustainability of livestock production is essential for ensuring efficiency, environmental safety and social justice in this sector. This is why participation in the project shaped the content of the ‘Sustainable Animal Husbandry’ discipline, which is not only focused on reducing environmental impact, but also on supporting the economic stability of farms and ensuring animal welfare. This requires striking a balance between various factors, ranging from productivity to ethical standards.

Experience of organising sustainable livestock production within agricultural enterprises across several European countries was further developed through study visits and teacher mobility at the University of Economics and Environment in Nürtingen- Heisslingen (Germany), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden) and the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia). This experience formed the basis for developing teaching materials for this subject.

A team of authors used the experience gained to develop the electronic manual Sustainable Livestock Farming and Animal Welfare (SULAWE). Module 1: Sustainable Animal Husbandry reveals the concepts of using available resources in animal production based on sound technological solutions from the perspectives of sustainable development, resource conservation, animal welfare, and the sustainability of the ecological systems surrounding production facilities.

Overall, the discipline „Sustainable animal husbandry“ plays a key role in shaping the worldview of future specialists who can implement the principles of sustainable animal husbandry in practice, as well as analyse the cause-and-effect relationships of their implementation in production activities.

Overall, participating in the project strengthened partnerships between Ukrainian higher education institutions, developed international cooperation and updated the content of the animal husbandry master’s degree programme.

The implementation of sustainable production principles is not only a requirement of the times, but also a way to increase the competitiveness of the industry. Balancing economic efficiency, animal welfare and the conservation of natural resources is becoming a key factor in the successful development of the agricultural sector.

During the project implementation, the discipline was updated: examples of sustainable farming practices were introduced, and interdisciplinary approaches were applied to address issues of ethical, environmental and technological responsibility in animal husbandry.

An important part of developing the course involved teachers making study visits to leading European universities, such as the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and the University of Applied Sciences Nürtingen-Geislingen (Germany). These visits provided an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of modern approaches to organising the educational process and training master’s students using a competence-based approach. Participants were also introduced to innovative farms that successfully combine technological production with high standards of animal welfare.

The collaboration resulted in the creation of an electronic manual entitled Sustainable Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare (SULAWE). The Module 1, ‘Sustainable Animal Husbandry’, systematises current knowledge about environmentally responsible production, resource management, biosafety, digital technologies and social ethics in animal husbandry. The manual is an important step towards strengthening the relationship between businesses and higher education institutions by promoting the exchange of innovative teaching and practice approaches.

Participation in the international project greatly enhanced the quality of education and teaching materials, as well as expanding academic mobility for students and teachers.

The ‘Sustainable Animal Husbandry’ course provides master’s degree students with a systematic understanding of the relationship between technological processes, environmental sustainability, ethics and animal welfare. The course aims to educate a new generation of specialists who can implement European sustainable development standards in domestic animal husbandry, thereby increasing the industry’s efficiency, humanity, and social responsibility.

Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Professor of the Department of Applied Biology, Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Aquatic Bioresources, Guarantor of the Educational Programme ‘Technology of Production and Processing of Livestock Products’ Master’s degree in Animal Husbandry (H2) and/or Technology of Production and Processing of Animal Products (204)

Participation in the project not only resulted in the renewal of educational content, but also increased academic mobility for students and teachers. Students on the educational programme, in particular, participated in internal and external academic mobility through study visits to partner universities.

Teachers’ participation in international training courses and workshops contributed to improving their professional competence, refining teaching methods and introducing practices of human-animal interaction, stress assessment, behavioural research and digital technologies for precision animal husbandry.

Active work within the project stimulated an increase in scientific activity within the faculty’s departments involved in training Master’s students. Based on the results of joint research, several scientific publications have been prepared for professional Ukrainian and international journals devoted to animal welfare issues, the accurate monitoring of productivity indicators, and the adaptation of animals to industrial conditions.

Another significant outcome is the realignment of master’s thesis topics to reflect European priorities in sustainable production, bioethics, animal welfare, and precision livestock farming. These topics provide a practical platform for implementing the principles of European integration and practice-oriented learning. They help higher education students to develop the skills needed to solve real production problems in line with the requirements of the modern agricultural sector in Ukraine and the EU.

The introduction of case-based learning strategies developed on the basis of project materials played a special role in improving the quality of master’s degree training. They allowed students to work with real situations from sustainable livestock farming practice, analyse the welfare issues of different types of farm animals, and model management decisions taking into account economic, ethical and environmental factors. Using case studies helped to develop critical thinking, teamwork, a systematic approach, and practical skills in animal productivity management. This directly influenced the successful completion of the accreditation review, resulting in the programme being recognised as exemplary.

Participation in the Sustainable Livestock Production and Animal Welfare project thus improved the quality of the programme’s content, methodology and practical components; promoted the internationalisation and mobility of students and teachers; ensured master’s degree programmes met the standards of the new generation of education; deepened the integration of innovative, case-based and research-oriented learning approaches; and contributed to the implementation of global sustainable development goals, particularly those relating to quality education, sustainable agricultural production and animal welfare. The project also created a platform for European integration, practice-oriented research and the professional development of students, and became one of the prerequisites for obtaining exemplary accreditation in Ukraine.

National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

The ‘Sustainable Animal Husbandry’ discipline helps students develop a comprehensive understanding of sustainable development principles in the agricultural sector by harmoniously combining economic efficiency, environmental safety, and social responsibility. Through this course, students acquire key competencies, such as the ability to analyse the environmental impact of animal husbandry technologies and develop measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and production waste, plan production processes in accordance with the principles of the Circular Economy and Green Deal, justify decisions by taking environmental, ethical and socio-economic criteria into account, and apply life cycle assessment (LCA) systems in animal husbandry. Thus, the discipline fosters an ecological mindset, systematic analytical skills and a strategic vision for the development of agribusiness in line with international sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The discipline of animal welfare fosters a humane attitude towards animals and a deep understanding of international standards for their care, keeping and protection. The main learning outcomes are:

– an understanding of the physiological, behavioural and psycho-emotional needs of farm animals

– the ability to monitor and assess welfare levels in accordance with European protocols (e.g. Welfare Quality®, EU Animal Welfare Indicators)

– the ability to develop and implement practical measures to improve animal welfare conditions in educational, research and production farms

– the development of ethical, communicative and interdisciplinary competencies that enable students to work in international teams and projects The course develops specialists who can combine scientific knowledge with the ethical principles of animal husbandry. This increases consumer confidence and the international competitiveness of products.

The innovative discipline of ‘Precision Animal Husbandry’ is aimed at the digitalisation and technological transformation of the agricultural sector. It introduces students to modern technologies for monitoring, analytics and process management in animal husbandry, all of which are based on digital data. Students will acquire the following competencies: proficiency in modern IT tools for collecting and analysing the biometric and behavioural data of animals (e.g. sensor systems, RFID identification, video analysis and IoT technologies); the ability to interpret this data in order to inform management decisions regarding feeding, microclimate, animal health and productivity; the ability to apply the principles of precision livestock farming to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve animal welfare; and skills in interdisciplinary interaction with IT, engineering, biology and management specialists. This course trains a new generation of specialists who can work effectively in a digital environment, implement innovative solutions, and ensure the high quality and safety of products.

In general, the developed disciplines have a systematic impact on improving the quality of the educational process, contributing to the updating of agricultural education content in line with European trends and contemporary challenges relating to food security, climate change, and animal welfare. Implementing them ensures the development of ecological, ethical and professional awareness, as well as critical thinking, analytical skills and an innovative approach. It also fosters readiness to participate in international scientific and practical projects. Thus, these disciplines are key to transforming the educational environment and ensuring Ukraine’s integration into the European space of agricultural knowledge and technologies.

Technological progress and the move towards digital transformation present the livestock industry with new challenges. Innovative technological solutions allow modern livestock producers to reduce labour and production resource costs per animal or unit of output, thereby increasing economic efficiency. Therefore, studying advanced technologies and global experience in digital transformation could help Ukraine’s livestock industry reach a new level of development. This trend has the potential to stimulate the adoption of information technology as a mutually beneficial solution in the interaction between ‘producer–animal–consumer’. The digital transformation of the livestock industry involves a range of technological solutions aimed at improving production efficiency, as well as organising and controlling costs and the production process. These technologies can be implemented effectively in all areas of livestock farming, including cattle, pig and poultry breeding, and sheep farming.

Visits by teachers to project partners played a key role in the development of teaching materials: the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the University of Ljubljana and the University of Economics and Nürtingen-Heisslingen University, during which they learned about modern approaches to the organisation of the educational process, practical training and scientific research.

It was important to learn about the educational programmes of our partners and the scientific work in animal husbandry. This work focuses on food safety, sustainability, biodiversity, the marketing and promotion of animal products, and transferring knowledge into practice. It was extremely informative to visit farms that adhere to welfare principles and implement digital technologies to improve the productivity of farm animals.

Overall, the discipline of ‘Digital Animal Husbandry’ plays a key role in helping future specialists understand the modern approach to livestock farm management, which is based on the use of digital technologies for monitoring, analysing and optimising production processes.

Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Husbandry

As part of this important and useful project, a number of disciplines were developed, including ‘Precision Animal Husbandry’, which meets higher education standards and ensures students acquire general and specialised competencies in animal husbandry. This discipline aims to equip students with the practical knowledge and skills required for managing livestock farms using digital technologies to monitor, analyse and optimise production processes.

The visit to the University of Nürtingen-Heisslingen was of great importance for the implementation of the project and the development of a modern, valuable discipline. During live communication with scientists and professors, we gained valuable experience in preparing the discipline, developing its structure, conceptualising its content and teaching methods. I would like to highlight our visit to modern livestock farms, where a high level of digitalisation has been implemented. This gave us the opportunity to learn about best practices first-hand, gain valuable experience, and discover the features of using and analysing innovative solutions for precision livestock farming, so that we can use this knowledge in Ukraine and pass it on to our students.

I firmly believe that implementing the Sustainable Livestock Production and Animal Welfare project and developing modern, interesting and innovative master’s degree programmes have had a positive impact on the quality of education at our university. These developments have deepened the knowledge and skills of future livestock specialists and will contribute to the development of education and the economy in Ukraine.