The "Pilot Project" will also develop strategies for working with local communities to develop sustainable and environment-friendly approaches to rebuilding. 

The two institutions have won the £43,000 grant as part of the Universities UK International "Twin for Hope" campaign, which aims to promote collaboration between the UK and Ukraine. The scheme is supported by Research England and UK Research and Innovation and marks its first anniversary on 29 March.

UEL and ChSTU have already signed an agreement to explore opportunities for collaboration on various initiatives, including joint research and student exchange programs.

The town of Cherkasy has been left relatively unscathed in the conflict with Russia so it is suitable for the test. The next phase of the project will be to scale up the approach across Ukraine to address the magnitude of the reconstruction needed in some highly affected regions.

The Principal Investigator and Co-Director of UEL's Sustainability Research Institute Mr Alan Chandler said, "We are delighted to receive this grant for our drone-enabled participatory evaluation pilot programme in Ukraine. 

"This project represents a unique opportunity to harness and redirect the collective power of the skills and equipment gained through the war towards rebuilding a safe, low-carbon, nature-based Ukraine. 

"We are proud to work in partnership with Cherkasy State Technological University to make this vision a reality. The University of East London's research programme has traditionally aspired to make a global impact, with a key focus on sustainability. This project is a perfect response to those twin demands."

Professor Oleg Grygor, Rector of Cherkasy State Technological University, said, "The Ukrainian people are sincerely grateful to the people of Great Britain for their support in difficult times. 

"This project is an excellent example of how international partnerships can bring together complementary expertise to address the challenges facing the world today. We thank our partner, University of East London, for the work they are doing to contribute to the potential of British-Ukrainian relations and to building inter-institutional links for a peaceful future.

"We look forward to working with our colleagues at UEL to establish a Ukraine Data Co-operative that links initiatives in all affected cities to facilitate a meaningful, participatory response to the unprecedented scale and urgency of reconstruction."

Timeline

March to August 2023: Community and civic groups will be identified and engaged to follow the project's progress through social media engagement.

April: A student group acting as "citizen pilots" will be recruited and trained in drone use. The target study area in Cherkasy will be defined.

May: Building conditions at the test site will be surveyed using a drone.

June: Data collected will be processed and used to build a detailed 3D model of the structure.

July: A report on building data and the design of an information management platform will be produced, followed by a trial energy audit using collected thermal imagery and integration with structural data.

August: A report on the effectiveness of citizen scientists in drone surveying will be presented, along with recommendations for the next steps.

Photo: Stock image