2023 — Restoring psychological support and ensuring the safe organisation of education following relocation.
2024 — Systematising health-promoting practices and partnership-based support for the university community.
2025 — Scaling up mental health support, veteran-sensitive engagement and a culture of safety.
Amidst the war, displacement and prolonged psychological and emotional strain, TSATU has combined psychological support, education in civil and occupational safety, the promotion of a culture of healthy eating habits, and partnerships with organisations assisting internally displaced persons, veterans and those affected by the war. In 2025, the university’s priority has been to strengthen psychological resilience, train staff to interact appropriately with students who have experienced combat, disseminate health-promoting knowledge and advance the interdisciplinary One Health approach.
Research on Health and Well-Being
TSATU contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 through research on healthy and specialised nutrition, occupational risks and workplace safety, psychological resilience, and the interdisciplinary One Health approach, which integrates the health of people, animals, food systems, and the environment.
- A key achievement in 2025 was research into gluten-free granola technology for the restaurant sector. The research team developed and evaluated experimental recipes, determining their nutritional and energy value, organoleptic characteristics, and production parameters. The resulting formulations have a low glycaemic index and are suitable for specialised and dietary nutrition.
- The collective monograph Innovative Approaches in Food Processing and Sustainability summarised the results of research into the development of functional and specialised products, the enhancement of their nutritional value and the improvement of production technologies. Other studies covered the reduction of sugar content, the use of biologically valuable plant-based raw materials, the production of wholegrain products and the assessment of hazards in the working environment.
- TSATU’s participation in the 4th International Conference One Health: Problems and Solutions broadened professional exchanges with specialists in medicine, veterinary science, food safety, ecology, and biosafety. Building on this experience, the university has identified the further integration of the One Health approach into its research and educational activities as a promising strategic focus.
Education and Partnerships in Health, Safety and Well-Being
The University equips future professionals with skills that directly impact health, safety and risk prevention:
- the Civil Safety educational programmes cover occupational health and safety, civil protection, fire and industrial safety, risk management, and the prevention of workplace injuries and occupational diseases;
- the Master’s degree programme in Healthy Food Industry focuses on the development of safe, functional and specialised food products, and the assessment of their quality, nutritional and biological value. Students’ research and project work covers products for dietary, infant and preventive nutrition.
Formal education was supplemented by free open lectures and certified training courses:
- an open lecture on ‘Promoting Optimal Health among Educators’ was aimed at fostering a conscious approach to physical, psychological and professional well-being;
- collaboration with the Melitopol City Council’s ‘Centre for Support of IDPs, Veterans and Their Families’ resulted in a psychological training session on the prevention of depression and the promotion of mental health for 126 participants in the education sector;
- the partnership with the Nashi Mrii (Our Dreams) NGO enabled the university to draw on external expertise in veteran-sensitive communication and transform it into a practical tool for staff professional development. Together with partners, a training session was delivered on the topic ‘Safe interaction with students from vulnerable groups: combatants’;
- in September 2025, an online workshop entitled ‘Resilience and Recovery: A Lecturer’s Psychological Resources in Wartime’ was held in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The event strengthened the international component of professional and psychological support for staff;
- Yulia Gonchar, a researcher at TSATU, delivered a seminar entitled ‘Healthy Nutrition for Children and Young People in Educational Institutions’ as part of the ‘TOP-Vesna(Spring)-2025’ programme, which had a total audience of 277 people. The seminar aimed to develop teachers’ competencies in organising healthy nutrition for schoolchildren, taking into account their age-related and physiological needs, as well as current public health challenges.
TSATU actively promotes a culture of physical activity through staff participation in sporting and health‑oriented events. Valerii Gazaiev, a lecturer at TSATU, was awarded the title Honoured Worker of Physical Culture and Sport of Ukraine and received recognition from the Ministry of Youth and Sport for his contribution to youth training and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. To strengthen education, practical training, and professional expertise in civil protection and safety, TSATU has signed an agreement and established cooperation with the special‑purpose emergency rescue unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region.
Psychological support for students is provided by the TSATU Psychological Service and enhanced through partner‑led training sessions. In addition, the international Erasmus+ SAFE LEARN project, which TSATU joined in 2025, has launched a series of initiatives to develop and implement trauma‑informed teaching methods for students affected by war, both within TSATU and across other institutions.
In August 2025, TSATU and the regional branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. This institutional partnership laid the foundations for joint educational, humanitarian and security initiatives aimed at strengthening the health and resilience of the university community in the context of the war.
TSATU strictly adheres to the requirements of national legislation prohibiting smoking indoors. Mentoring sessions, as part of the educational programmes, help to support the no-smoking policy and inform those involved in the educational process of the consequences of breaching the established requirements.
Policies and Institutional Mechanisms
- Ensuring the safety of those involved in the educational process during wartime is enshrined in TSATU Development Strategy for 2023–2030.
- The legal framework for educational, labour and administrative activities is set out in the University Statutes.
- Safe working conditions, health and safety at work, and the socio-economic rights and guarantees of employees are regulated by the Collective Agreement between the administration and the TSATU trade union committee for 2025.
- Policies on gender equality, social inclusion, and the prevention of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour form the basis of a safe, non-discriminatory and supportive environment.