Andriy Voronov, associate professor of coatings and polymeric materials, has been named a research ambassador by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service). The honor is for the 2017-18 academic year.
This year, the research ambassador program is recognizing 21 people who conducted a long-term research project in Germany at the doctoral level or above.
In August, the research ambassadors participated in a two-day seminar on the latest developments in German higher education and research. The seminar also addressed funding opportunities available to North American scientists interested in conducting research in Germany or initiating collaborative projects with German colleagues.
“The German Academic Exchange Service does very important and challenging work in promoting research collaborations between perspective international scientists and from Germany, by supporting those scientists to come to Germany and work on chosen projects together with their German host,” Voronov said. “Such an opportunity not only fosters research collaboration by itself, but also makes international cultural exchange broader, as well as educational purposes more global.”
Research ambassadors serve as liaisons for the program in the U.S. and Canada to promote research opportunities in Germany among their colleagues, peers and students.
Voronov joined the NDSU faculty in 2007. He previously held a research position at the Institute of Particle Technology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. He earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering and doctorate in polymer chemistry from Lviv Polytechnic National University in the Ukraine.
In addition, he was a visiting scientist at Vienna University of Technology in Austria, and a visiting fellow at the University of Ulm, Germany, and Institute Charles Sadron, National Center for Scientific Research, Strasbourg, France. He was a recipient of Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in 2000-2003 for research at the University of Bayreuth, Germany.
“In my career, I got a chance to live and research in Germany for almost 10 years, while working at three different German institutions. Being a DAAD research ambassador is certainly a new and interesting experience,” Voronov said. “I believe that increasing awareness and participation in DAAD research programs is a motivating and engaging assignment, as well as promoting DAAD research and educational efforts among students and researchers at NDSU and in the Midwest. My hope is not only to expand academic skills, but also learn new aspects of scholarly management and explore new research opportunities.”
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