Ukrainian Laboratories Strengthen International Expertise in Quality Assurance

The 19th International Summer School on Quality Assurance in a Testing Laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025) — one of the most prestigious international training programs for specialists in quality assurance for testing laboratories, launched by the European Commission—has concluded. The program combines an in-depth study of the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements with hands-on laboratory work, international team projects, and training from leading global experts.

With the support of UNIDO — the United Nations Industrial Development Organization—and GQSP Ukraine, three representatives from Ukrainian laboratories, who were selected based on the results of a training course on the implementation of ISO/IEC 17025, participated in the program.
The training was organized and conducted with the support of GQSP Ukraine in April 2026, and the participants demonstrated a high level of proficiency in technical English:

Over the course of two weeks, participants worked in international teams, completed practical laboratory tasks, and mastered modern approaches to quality assurance, method validation, measurement uncertainty assessment, metrological traceability, internal auditing, and compliance decision-making in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025.

💬 Vita Dovbnya — Head of the Department of Laboratory Operations, Quality Management Systems, and Metrological Support at the State Institution “Sumy Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine”— notes that the greatest value of the school was the combination of theory and practice, as well as working in international teams, which allowed her to exchange experiences with colleagues from different countries. She plans to apply the knowledge she gained in the work of the laboratories at the Sumy Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, particularly in the areas of measurement uncertainty assessment, method validation, and quality management system improvement.

💬 Yuriy Tkach, a laboratory technician at the Laboratory for Analytical Studies of Veterinary Drug Residues and Contaminants at the State Research and Control Institute of Veterinary Drugs and Feed Additives, emphasized that the school provided an opportunity not only to deepen his knowledge of uncertainty calculation, the rules for decision-making and conducting audits in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025, but also to immediately apply this knowledge during an international laboratory challenge. He specifically noted the experience of professional communication in English with participants from various countries, which opens up new opportunities for further professional development.

💬 Marta Ukolova—head of the Chemical and Toxicological Department at the private enterprise “Independent Center for Laboratory Research ‘Etalon’” (Khmelnytskyi)—emphasized that the hands-on training format, real-world laboratory case studies, and professional discussions served as a powerful source of new ideas. She plans to use the experience gained to improve approaches to method validation, measurement uncertainty assessment, and internal quality control in her laboratory.

The knowledge and practical experience gained will contribute to the further development of Ukrainian testing laboratories, enhance their technical competence, and bring them closer to international quality assurance practices.

At the same time, participation in the program reaffirmed that proficiency in technical English is one of the key requirements for professional integration into the international laboratory community. In fact, English proficiency was one of the decisive selection criteria for the Summer School.
Therefore, UNIDO GQSP Ukraine’s next initiative will be a specialized training course, “Technical English for Laboratories,” designed to strengthen the language skills of Ukrainian laboratory specialists and expand their opportunities to participate in international programs, professional networks, and technical training sessions.

Investing in the knowledge of laboratory specialists is an investment in confidence in test results, the development of quality infrastructure, and the competitiveness of Ukrainian products in international markets.