ASSOCIATION FOR EUROPEAN LIFE SCIENCE UNIVERSITIES

The I.S.L.E - Association for Innovation, Teaching and Promoting Sustainable Development in Life Sciences, Applied Sciences and Social Sciences in Europe and worldwide was founded in June 2012.

Tthe aims of the I.S.L.E Association are to create and maintain a network of European universities and non-European research institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations, businesses, other organizations or individuals involved in the implementation of sustainable development and its promotion in their activities.

The I.S.L.E Association will achieve these aims by:

• Organizing conferences, topical meetings, seminars etc. on subjects related to the goals of the Association;
• Creating and disseminating knowledge through books, written documents or periodicals, educational materials, websites or other digital means including designing and maintaining a website or a platform distance learning;
• Proposing expert advice, and carrying out technical or scientific missions.

The I.S.L.E Association Administrative Board, of 5 to 7 people, makes the major decisions concerning the activities of the Association. The Board appoints the I.S.L.E Association Committee (4 members of the 5/7 Admin Board) which is responsible for implementing decisions of the Board. In addition to the Committee members, (see below), the Board comprises administrators who may occupy specific "delegate" functions such as:

• Communication : dealing with the Association's external communication strategy (website, , information posters, mailing
• Logistics: dealing with the travel logistics of members (AGM, participation in conferences etc.
• Managing partnerships: dealing with finding and negotiating with partners
• Publications: dealing with writing articles on behalf of the association, to find funding for it, etc.

For more infomation contact

Corinne Stewart
Léognan, France
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The ISEKI Food Association (IFA) is an independent European non-profit organisation, established in 2005 by university institutions, research institutes, companies and associations related to food, coming from all over the world. IFA is registered under Austrian law as ZVR 541528038.

The main objectives of IFA are:

Establishment and maintenance of a network between universities, research institutions and companies in the food chain by

• promoting synergies between research, education/teaching and industry
• Development of a virtual community of experts in the field of food, with communication to the general public
• Establishment of a framework of agreements among partners, fostering the mobility of students and staff
• promoting the development of further related projects

Working towards the quality assurance of food studies by

• Tuning curricula
• Developing teaching materials and teaching methods
• Cooperation in the implementation of quality criteria in the food chain
• Accreditation of food studies

The main activities of IFA are:

• Accreditation of food study programmes: In 2011 IFA became a founding member of EASPA, the European Alliance for Subject-Specific and Professional Accreditation and Quality Assurance.
• Providing teaching materials
• Providing training for teachers and food professionals in form of workshops, e-elearning courses and webinars
• Supporting mobility of students and staff
• Supporting the development of research projects: In 2010 IFA has been granted consultative statuswith UNIDO.

For further infomation contact:

The ICA Council held its first meeting in 2009 with the purpose to act as a forum for dialogue between all parties under the ICA umbrella - the ICA Standing Committees, ICA Board, and the IAAS (International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences) and IFSA (Intrenational Forestry Student Association). At present the ICA Council meets once per year at the time of the ICA General Assembly when there is already the established opportunity for the Standing Committees to inform the General Assembly of their activities and plans.

At the Council meeting it is envisaged that the topics for discussion could include

• Sharing information about current activities and future plans
• Development of joint conference themes
• Identification of possibilities for joint applications for EU funded projects
• Plans for “ICA Week of Conference” type events during which all or some Standing Committees hold their annual meeting along with a general conference
• Representation of shared interests at the European (e.g. EUA) or global levels (e.g. APLU, GCHERA and FAO)
• Joint sponsorship/fundraising campaigns
• Joint dissemination of information and marketing of our respective networks

It is anticipated that the Council will have an advisory role for the ICA Board in assisting the Board in developing its future plans to meet the expectations of our members, and it will also facilitate networking between the ICA and the Standing Committees and, equally important, between the Standing Committees themselves.

The ICA Regional Organiszation for Central and South Eastern Europe

The CASEE Network was founded in 2010 upon the initiative of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and involves Life Science Universities in Bulgaria, the CzechRepublic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine and Austria.

The aims of the network are:

to support the development (and later implementation) of the EU Strategy for the Danube region

• to strengthen research, education and University Development in this region
• to develop joint research, educational and other projects (e.g. joint curricula, joint continuous educational offers, structural development, human resource development, QA, know-how-transfer, e.g. via an e-platform…)

Overview on CASEE activities:

• Conferences
• An e-platform for project partner / thesis topic and supervisor search, information on summer schools, etc.

More information:

Lukáš Pospíšil
CASEE General Secretary
Head of International Relations Office
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Kamycka 129,
165 00 Praha Suchdol
Czech Republic

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phone: +420 224 382 275

http://ica-casee.eu/

Network for Education and Research in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in Europe

The traditional field of agricultural engineering is now evolving to biosystems engineering, which is a science-based engineering discipline that integrates engineering science and design with the applied biological, environmental and agricultural sciences. Thus broadening the application of engineering sciences from the agricultural sciences to the biological sciences in general.

In response to this development, ERABΕE-TN (the Thematic Network for Education and Research in Biosystems Engineering in Europe) was established. ERABEE-TN was co-financed by the European Community in the framework of the Life Long Learning Programme. ERABEE was a follow-up of the University Studies of Agricultural Engineering in Europe Thematic Network (USAEE-TN). ERABEE-TN was funded for three years (October 1st, 2007 to September 30th, 2010). The partnership consisted of 35 participants from 27 Erasmus countries, of which 33 come from the European Higher Education Area institutions and two were student associations.

The transition from the traditional field of agricultural engineering to the emerging field of biosystems engineering will directly affect the programmes of study as a result of redefining the student learning outcomes and desired competences. The project promoted the development of new biosystems engineering programs of studies in Europe to catch up with the corresponding developments already at an advanced stage in the USA and Canada. The revised curriculum will directly and indirectly support industry seeking specialised experts to provide high level knowledge in the broader area of biosystems engineering.

The major achievements of ERABEE are:

• Promoted the critical transition from the traditional discipline of Agricultural Engineering to the emerging discipline of Biosystems Engineering
• Exploited along this direction the outcomes accomplished by the USAEE-TN (EU funded predecessor)
• Promoted synergies between Education and Research: Promoted the structured 3rd cycle programs of studies, also establishing linkage between education and research at all three cycles
• Enhanced the compatibility among the new programs of Biosystems Engineering in EU, aiding their recognition and accreditation at European and International level
• Facilitated greater mobility of skilled personnel, researchers and students in the broader field of Biosystems Engineering

More information:

Prof. Demetres Briassoulis

Agricultural University of Athens
Agricultural Engineering Department
Lab. of Farm Structures
75, IERA ODOS Str.
11855 ATHENS
Greece

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tel +30.210.5294011

European Forest Science Academic Network

The SILVA Network has developed significantly since its foundation in 1989. From seven founding members, it now has over 40 member forestry faculties.

The primary objective of the SILVA Network is to stimulate and facilitate educational co-operation in the field of forestry in Europe.

The objectives will be realised at four levels:

• students: to make it possible for students to carry out part of their studies abroad
• teachers: to stimulate and facilitate sojourns of teachers abroad
• curriculum: to encourage the exchange of information on the development of curricula and the development of joint curricula
• courses: to stimulate and facilitate the development of joint courses

The SILVA network holds an annual meeting and participates in projects.

More information:

Prof. Norbert Weber
SILVA President

Department of Forest Sciences
Institute of Forest Economics and Forest Management Planning
Technische Universität Dresden
801062 Dresden
Germany

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