On September 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s International Technical Assistance Program (DOI-ITAP), in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin, hosted an online seminar that brought together researchers from Ukraine and the United States.
 
The seminar featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Prasad S. Thenkabail, Senior Scientist (ST) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a globally recognized expert in remote sensing with nearly four decades of scientific contributions. Dr. Thenkabail’s standing in the field is underscored by his consistent inclusion among the world’s top 1% of cited scientists across 22 disciplines and 176 subfields.
 
The program focused on Advanced Remote Sensing, AI, and Cloud Computing for Agriculture, Water, and Food Security and highlighted the Global Food Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) project. Participants were introduced to modern GFSAD products developed using multi-sensor satellite data (Landsat-8, Landsat-9, Sentinel-2A/B, and others), cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big-data platforms. Among the products presented were:
• global cropland maps,
• maps of irrigated and rainfed areas,
• indicators of cropping intensity,
• classification of crop types.
 
The GFSAD initiative also aims to create analytical tools for assessing crop productivity and the efficiency of water resource use.
 

 
As part of the event, Academician of the NAAS of Ukraine, Dr. Shamil Ibatullin, presented findings from his research on “Monitoring Crops Using Remote Sensing.” His talk emphasized practical applications of satellite technologies for evaluating crop conditions and improving agricultural resource management, especially in the context of climate change and Ukraine’s agricultural recovery.
 
The seminar gathered a wide delegation from the Land Management Institute of the NAAS of Ukraine, including: Academician of the NAAS of Ukraine, Director, Dr. Yosyp Dorosh; Academician of the NAAS, Dr. Shamil Ibatullin; Dr. Oksana Sakal; Dr. Roman Kharytonenko; Dr. Andriy Dorosh; Dr. Roman Derkulskyi; and Mariia Zavodiana.
 
Colleagues from the Faculty of Land Management of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP) also participated, including: Dr. Iryna Kupriianchyk; Dr. Vyacheslav Bohdanets; and Dr. Bohdanna Zayachkivska.
 
The meeting took place in a constructive and collegial atmosphere. Participants agreed to continue building professional ties and to hold follow-up discussions to strengthen U.S.–Ukrainian cooperation in science and practice.