From 30 October to 1 December 2013, Associate Professor of the Department of Ecology Kovrov O.S. completed a research internship at the Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of the Rhein-Westphalische Technische Universität (Aachen, Germany) with the financial support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The topic of the internship was related to geomechanical and hydrogeological assessment of the stability of natural slopes and man-made slopes, taking into account the probabilistic structure of the soil massif for landslide prediction. The problem of landslides is becoming relevant due to a number of environmental and socio-economic consequences in regions with anthropogenic load. Associate Professor Kovrov has mastered a new engineering analysis programme GGU-Stability to assess slope stability and forecast landslide hazards. This made it possible to perform computer modelling of the hydrogeological regime of the slopes of the Dniprodzerzhynska HPP dam and to assess the hydrogeomechanical processes taking place in the dam body. The result of the work is expected to be a joint publication in English in a scientific journal with a high impact factor.

Further cooperation with the specialists of the Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology is envisaged within the framework of the signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Rhine-Westphalian Technical University, which provides for expanded opportunities for cooperation in the field of research and academic mobility programmes for students, postgraduates and teachers of the NMU.

Presentation on internships at RWTH Rheinische Wesfalen University