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2023 ICA-Edu Webinar 5 One Health Curriculum

A One Health module: history and evolution at University College Dublin
was held on Thursday 7 December
from 13.00 - 14.00 CET

Presenter: Barry McMahon, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, IE

See the presentation

 

Featured

2023 13th ICA Rectors and Deans Forum

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & the One Health Triad Challenges for Life Science Universities

was held on 19 and 20 October 2023 at JUNIA grande école d’ingénieurs, Lille, France

The face-to-face Rectors and Deans Forum programme on the 19 and 20 October will have two half day sessions focusing on the strategic management challenges of AI and the One Health Triad for life science universities.  In the previous week there will be three Webinars focusing on the science relating to the One Health Triad.

See the Webinar programme & presentations and the Forum programme & presentations in Lille linked to each programme

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2023 ICA-Edu Webinar 4 Extracurricular student activities

Extracurricular activities and their importance in the academic environment: The EFSET example

Was held on Thursday 22 June from 13.00 - 14.00 CET and presented by Dimitrios Paraforos, Professor of Agricultural Engineering at Geisenheim University, DE and by Paola Varela Pérez, CEO HOLIROOTS, Remshalden, DE

See the programme and download the presentations

2023 ICA-Edu Enhancing Student Engagement in the Life Sciences Webinar No 3

 

2023 ICA-CoP Bio-Edu Community of Practice for Bioeconomy Education Workshop

Engaging with industry to ensure that graduates and professionals are well prepared for employment in the Bioeconomy

Was held at Warsaw University of Life Sciences from 26 to 28 April 2023

A  Workshop focus

Educators and employers are experiencing a gap between the competences of graduates and what is needed by the employer in the bioeconomy. Although it is not possible to prepare students for specific jobs, it should be possible with the support of industry to prepare students more effectively for their future careers in the bioeconomy

The key objectives of the workshop will be to:

  • recognise and examine the gap between expectations of graduates and industry on the working ethos of the bioeconomy industries.

  • identify the specific generic competences required by graduates for careers in the bioeconomy

  • recognise the need to embed in our graduates the mindset for the bioeconomy  – referring back to the Colloquium in 2022

  • exchange good practices in realising cooperation between representatives of employers and educational institutions to improve the engagement of industry employees in curricula at VET, Bachelor and Master education levels.

  • examine how to develop life long learning cooperation between employers and educational institutions in support of up-skilling industry employees for the bioeconomy

B   Expected Outcome

It is expected that participants will:

  • address how to realise an optimal engagement of employer partners in the educational programmes to prepare graduates and professionals for their future employment.

C  Target Audience

Degree programme coordinators, lecturers, members of committees responsible for the (strategic) development of curricula. National education advisors and employers, who have a special interest in cooperating with education institutions, are also invited to contribute to the discussion. 

D  Workshop Format

On the Wednesday afternoon there will be a joint plenary session focusing on all three workshop themes.  The Thursday session has three parallel sessions, one for each Workshop Theme. The Friday session will start with the three parallel sessions and then come together for a final plenary session.

Each Session of the Workshop theme will be addressed by keynote speakers followed by round table breakout groups to discuss the issues raised, with a concluding report from the breakout groups of the issues raised in the final plenary session on Friday morning.

E   Programme

Wednesday 26 April

13.00 Registration and Lunch

14.00 Welcome Marta Mendel, Vice Rector for International Cooperation, Warsaw Universityof Life Sciences

14.10 Introduction of the ambitions for the Workshop, Han van Osch, Chair of ICA-CoP Bio-Edu

14.20 Session 1 –Framing the challenge of Enhancing Student and Industry Engagement

15.30 Coffee

16.00

16.45 Round table discussions

17.30 Closure

19.00 Welcome Reception and Walking Dinner

Thursday 27 April

Session 2 Engaging with industry to ensure that our graduates do not have a skills gap that limits their fitness for employment in the Bioeconomy?

9.00  What are the skills that need to be addressed in addition to the core generic/soft skills (e.g. those of problem solving, critical thinking, communication, team working, ethics, leadership)? 

11.00 Coffee

11.30 Session 2 continued

12.00 Round Table discussions and report back. 

13.00 Lunch

14.00  How do universities engage proactively with industry in curricular and in extra-curricular activities

15.30 Coffee

16.00 Round table discussions

17.00 Closure

17.15 ICA-CoP Bio-Edu General Assembly

20.00 Workshop Gala Dinner Warsaw City centre,

Friday 28 April

Session 3 Universities of life sciences in support of up-skilling industry employees for the Bioeconomy through life long learning and the award of micro-credentials

9.00 Introduction

10.10 Roundtable discussion and Report back

10.45 Coffee

Session 4 Plenary - Enhancing Student and Industry Engagement

11.15 Discussion of the outcomes of the Workshop

12.30 Closure and Lunch

F  Workshop organising committee

  • Han van Osch, (Chair) Avans University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands & Dutch Biobased Knowledge Network

  • George Sakellaris, (Vice Chair) Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic & BioEast

  • Ingar Janzik, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and Bioeconomy Science Center, Germany

  • Pawan Kumar Mishra, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic & UniNet

  • Mona-Anitta Riihimäki, Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finland

  • Constantinos Vorgias, University of Athens, Greece

G  Questions?

Contact Simon Heath This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

2023 ICA-Edu Special Interest Group (SIG) for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education Workshop

ICA SIG Educator Workshop:

Implementing challenge-based learning in sustainable entrepreneurship education allowing for the development of (sustainable) entrepreneurial competencies

Was held online on Wednesday 26 April 2023 from 10.00 to 12.30 CET

A  Workshop focus

This ICA-SIG Educator Workshop will focus on the role of student challenges and student competitions as catalysts for entrepreneurial learning and student engagement. The workshop aims to:

  1. Share perspectives on competence development in challenge-based learning in sustainable entrepreneurship education
  2. Provide learnings from industry partners, academics and students; a real-life case example
  3. Help participants critically reflect on their own educational and pedagogical practices to engage learners in challenge-based entrepreneurship education
  4. Jointly develop ideas for further application and research in sustainable entrepreneurship education

B  Progamme 

Comptetences for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Lisa Ploum, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, NL

Fostering sustainable entrepreneurial attiftude and competences in students - a "becoming who you are", persepctive and call for real learner centred universities
Andreas Zitek, University of Natural resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), AT

Using the EntreComp framework to evaluate entrepreneurship program focusing on challenge based learning
Daniele Morselli, Free University of Bolzano, Faculty of Education, Bolazno - Bozen, IT

Engaging, farmers and agri-food industry partners in the design of a challenge-based student assessent.
Yiorgos Gadanakis, Agricultural Business Management, University of Reading, UK

The Educator Workshop was designed to be interactive and allows for sharing experiences, igniting discussions and (re-)connecting with the community around sustainable entrepreneurship education.

C  Target Audience

Degree programme coordinators, lecturers, members of committees responsible for the (strategic) development of curricula. National education advisors are also invited to contribute to the discussion. Students are also more than welcome to join the ICA-SIG workshop.

D  Workshop organising committee

  • Lisa Ploum (Chair) – Wageningen University and Research
  • Andreas Zitek – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
  • Yiorgos Gadanakis – University of Reading
  • Guido Orzes – Free University Bozen-Bolsano

The ICA-Edu SIG for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education is enabled by the Executive committee ICA-Edu.

E Questions?

Contact Lisa Ploum This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

F Upcoming events on sustainable entrepreneurship education:   

April 12: Educator Workshop: Innovative Pedagogy for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education – SSES Learninglab 

June 12 – 13: Symposium Teaching & Curriculum Development in Sustainability Entrepreneurship will be held in Paris at ESCP Business School and UNEP. ICA-Edu is an affiliated partner for this event.

 

 

2023 ICA-Edu Network for Innovation in Life Sciences Higher Education Workshop

The Student Engagement Challenge

Was held online on Thursday 27 April 2023 from 9.00 - 13.00 CET

A   Workshop Focus:  the Student Engagement Challenge

As higher educational systems continue to develop in the post Covid era many Universities face the challenge of engaging a new generation of students in University learning and life. The nature of learning is changing with a greater emphasis on blended approaches and flexible learning paths. The students themselves have changing expectations about how, when and where they learn and the types of extra-curricular activities they are interested in and willing to engage with. This workshop will explore some of these new challenges facing the sector with the aim of exploring University perspectives, the student view on engagement and will provide a range of case study examples of practice from both staff and students.  The Workshop will focus on students at the Bachelor and Master levels only.

The key objectives are to:

  • explore student engagement challenges across a wide range of European Universities and the policies they have in place to encourage effective engagement
  • examine how universities can encourage active student engagement within the curriculum and how they can interact with students at program level

Two pre-Workshop Webinars on this theme of enhancing student engagement were held in 2023 - the details and recordings can be viewed here

B    Expected Outcomes

It is expected that participants:

  1. Will gain knowledge of the diversity of policies and mechanisms in place at different Universities to encourage student engagement
  2. Will have a better understanding of the challenges and barriers associated with enhancing engagement both within the curricular and in extra-curricular activities
  3. Will be exposed to a number of innovative approaches and mechanisms that they can use in their own positions to enhance engagement in both the assessed curricula and more widely in University life

C   Target Audience

At the Bachelor and Master level degree programme coordinators, lecturers, members of committees responsible for the (strategic) development of curricula. National education advisors are also invited to contribute to the discussion. Students are also invited to contribute their experience.

D   Workshop Format

The event will be online and will run on the morning Thursday 27th April. There will be two keynote presentations to set the scene followed a number of short presentations from students and staff before a discussion session on meeting the engagement challenge.

E   Programme

Thursday 27 April

9.00 Welcome and outline of day

What does an enhanced engagement experience for students mean?

9.05: Keynote 1: Driving engagement: learning from the experience of the university wide KULeuven Engage initiative. Nicolas Standaert, KU Leuven Engage, KU Leuven, BE

9.50: Keynote 2: What do we need to do now and in the future to ensure student engagement in the class and in the curriculum. Daniel Hurley, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IE

10.30: Coffee break

11.00: Perspectives from students and staff via case studies [ Four 15 min case studies, 2 staff and 2 students]

Student engagement challenge 2023
Isa Stucki, soon to graduate Food Economics and Consumption Master student from the University of Helsinki, FI.

Benefits of enhanced studnet engagement at the Faculty of Agricutlure
Sara Kolar, benefits of enhanced student engagement at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, HR.

How can a well-structured e-learning platform and Quick Wins during a lecture/practical contribute to student engagement in class?
Evelyne de Caluwé, Educational Developer, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, BE
(see also  more creations to inspire you)

12.00: Discussion Panel with presenters of the cases

12.45: Conclusions and close


F   Workshop organising committee – ICA-Edu Executive Committee

  • Julian Park, Chair ICA-Edu, Former Pro Vice Chancellor Education and Student Experience & Professor of Agricultural Systems, University of Reading
  • Teodor Ioan Trasca, Vice Chair ICA-Edu, Head of the Department of Food Technologies, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine ‘’King Michael I of Romania’’ from Timisoara
  • Stefano Cesco, Former Dean and Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano
  • Kristina Kljak Vice-Dean for international cooperation & Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb
  • Marta Mendel, Vice Rector for International Co-operation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences
  • Janna Pietikäinen, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Helsinki
  • Mieke Uyttendaele, Faculty Director of Education & Internationalisation, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent
  • Lisa Ploum, Chair ICA-Edu SIG & Centre for Value Creation and Education and Learning Sciences, Wageningen University and Research

G   Questions?

Contact Simon Heath This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Download the flyer

2023 ICA-Edu Enhancing Student Engagement in the Life Sciences Webinar No 2

Pre-Workshop Webinar No 2:
Engaging students in extra-curricular activities

Was held on Thursday 23 February 2023 from 13.00 to 14.00 CET

Webinar Overview

This webinar will address some challenges associated with engaging students in extra-curricular activities and recognising that engagement. 

The presenters:
Frederik De Decker, Head of Ghent University’s International Relations Office.
See his powerpoint presentation here

Isa Stucki soon to graduate Food Economics and Consumption Master student from the University of Helsinki.
See her powerpoint presentation here

The Presentations Abstracts

A The university as a school of life
Frederik De Decker is the Head of Ghent University’s international relations office and has followed up on the university’s pilot project on ‘Badges’ to reward student engagement and other types of university-based volunteering work. By awarding badges for such experiences, the university wants to endorse that also different kinds of life experiences equip students with important generic skills and competences. In his presentation, Frederik will not only present the concept and the online badge system used but also share the first experiences and dwell on the challenges that such a system brings along.

B Universities supporting students’ own innovativeness
Isa Stucki has been working with the Viikki Food Design Factory (VfDf)p re-pre Incubator program (Pre-Germinator), which is designed from students’ point of view. In the Pre-Germinator interdisciplinary teams grow their own ideas into innovations. The VfDf vision is to nourish and nurture students' innovativeness in their academic fields and grow them to become future entrepreneurs and innovative leaders, see https://www.helsinki.fi/en/viikki-food-design-factory In her presentation Isa will tell what has been done and what to consider when working with innovative students.

Short bios:

DeckerFrederik De Decker is currently the Head of the International Relations Office at his alma mater Ghent University (Belgium). He also started his professional career in internationalisation there, almost 30 years ago, triggered by his own study abroad experiences in The Netherlands and Poland. Previously he had different responsibilities related to internationalisation and educational policy in various Belgian higher education institutions. The last jobs he held before returning to Ghent University were head of the Office for educational development and internationalisation at Artevelde University Of Applied Sciences (2000-2006) and senior education advisor (advising the board in various educational policy matters) at the umbrella organisation Ghent University Association (2006-2014).

He participates regularly as an expert in international projects, mainly dealing with internationalisation, educational development, qualifications frameworks and quality assurance. Topics he frequently addresses as an (invited) speaker at conferences and publishes regularly about. He also chairs and participates in various advisory boards re. these themes at the Flemish level, e.g. the Working Groups on internationalisation of the Flemish Education Council (Council for Higher Education) and the Flemish Interuniversity Council. His special interests are the concept of (international/intercultural) learning outcomes/competences; microcredentials; inclusive mobility and sustainable internationalisation.

 

StuckiIsa Stucki is a soon to graduate food economics and consumption Master's student from the University of Helsinki. She is also an education coordinator and a teaching assistant for the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry’s Viikki Food Design Factory. https://www.helsinki.fi/en/viikki-food-design-factory

She got the position in VfDf, in Finland’s first food ecosystem, by being active and expressing her interest before the Design Factory was just an idea. Isa is eager in finding new innovations, especially in the field of food. That is why she is also participating in the Pre-Germinator program herself. The double-role is also helping her to understand how education needs to be organized in the best way.

 

 

2023 ICA-Edu Enhancing Student Engagement in the Life Sciences Webinar No 1

Webinar No1: Using granular data sets to improve student retention, progression and outcomes and to address awarding gaps

Was held on Tuesday 17 January 2023 from 13.00 to 14.00 CET

Dr Nick Freestone, Kingston University (UK) presented the webinar.  See his bibliography below

Webinar Overview

Nick Freestone outlined some of the challenges associated with teaching large and diverse cohorts of undergraduate science students and showcased a range of practical ideas for encouraging and engaging with such students. The session showed how data analytics can be used to purposefully design strategies to target often scarce resources at specific student cohorts to tackle disparity in achievement of the desired learning outcomes within the student body.

Nick Freestone's presentation can be viewed here:
powepoint

The recording of the Webinar is here:

 

Biography Dr Nick Freestone 

Dr Nick Freestone is an Associate Professor for Physiology and Pharmacology and Course Director for undergraduate Pharmaceutical Science degree courses at Kingston University, UK. These courses were shortlisted for the Guardian University awards in the category of “Course Design, Retention and Student Outcomes in 2021”. His research covers two different disciplines. The first is in bioscience and relates largely to studying calcium handling in isolated cardiac myocytes. The second relates to the interrogation of the nature of university learning itself via a diverse educational research portfolio.

As a pedagogical researcher he has run national workshops on teaching and learning for colleagues for the AdvanceHE and the Heads of University Biosciences (HUBS)/Royal Society of Biology (RSB). He is a Senior Fellow of the HEA, a Fellow of the RSB and was until recently Education Lead for the Physiological Society. In 2014/15 he was UK HEA Bioscience Teacher of the Year and now Chairs the judging panel for that award. He established a national "Bridging the Awarding Gaps" Network for the RSB in 2020 and is co-Chair of the network. He was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2021 and was a founding member of the Kingston University team recently shortlisted for a Times Higher Education award in the category of “Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity” in November 2022.

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