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ASSOCIATION FOR EUROPEAN LIFE SCIENCE UNIVERSITIES NPA

relating to the circular bioeconomy, the sustainable use of natural resources, the protection of the environment and rural development.

We aim to enhance our members’ success in education, research and innovation for a sustainable bioeconomy and society,
by engaging with European and global institutions and networks, to share experience,
cooperate in new ventures, and benefit from the resulting synergy.

ICA Board is searching to appoint the ICA Secretary General (0.6 FTE)

In 2021 ICA renewed its strategy with the goal of enhancing collaboration among its members and focussing on engaging with the EU and Euroepean institutions. With this strategy the secretariat, which is currently run by 0.3 FTE position, will be enlarged to ensure a successful implementation. Based on these goals, the position of the “ICA Secretary General” was defined and is waiting to be filled with this announcement.

See the Job Description and Offer - deadline for applications is before 10 December 2021

COMMUNIQUÉ to LEADERS at COP26 - 22 October 2021

LIFE SCIENCES UNIVERSITIES
ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE BIOECONOMIES

We, the Rectors, Deans and Senior Management of the Association for European Life Science Universities at our Forum focusing on the Role of Life Science Universities in Transitioning to Climate Neutrality held in Leuven, Belgium on 21 and 22 October 2021;
Recognising that university education, research and innovation are a vital pillar for transitioning to a sustainable bioeconomy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions;
Placing climate change and climate neutrality at the centre of our learning, research, our collaboration with societal partners, and in our campus operations;

Pledge to leaders at COP26:
1. We will enhance our understanding of climate change and transition pathways in our curricula and provide our students – the future professionals and decision makers - with all available understanding of the need, means and paths for society to move to climate neutrality,

2. We will enhance our research into understanding of and integral solutions for climate neutrality, designing concrete pathways towards sustainable bioeconomies,

3. We will seek active collaboration with the agrifood, biobased, marine, forestry and other economic and societal actors and sectors in our locations across Europe to help implement concrete products, technologies, activities and practices that severely reduce climate change impacts and advance net-zero greenhouse gas emissions systems, and

4. We will engage with our life science institutions and campuses in moving towards climate neutrality so that they become beacons of progress and exemplary for other research and teaching institutions.

Signed by 66 Attendees of the Rectors and Deans Forum

Download the full text COMMUNIQUÉ with the list of signatories

 

Forum voor Rectoren en Decanen - KU Leuven - ICA - 21/10/2021 - Faculty Club, Leuven.

INTRINSIC Project Final Conference

First International Conference on Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education will be held online on 25 and 26 November 2021 from BOKU, Vienna.  The Conference will Blend the Three Colours of Sustainability, Entrepreneurship Education and Higher Education for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education.  Download the conference flyer and register at the project website

The focus of the conference is to inspire and engage higher education teachers to embed Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Education in Life Science degree programs

The ICA Board is pleased to be a partner in the ERASMUS + Strategic Partnership Project led by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). The INTRINSIC project addresses Innovative Education for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences - download the flyer and goto to the project website

 

ICA Standing Commitee Events & News 2021

AGRIMBA, Enhancing education for sustainability - new paper from AGRIMBA

IROICA, the International Relations Officers’ Network of the Association for European Life Science Universities Conference 7 to 10 December Conference and see other forthcoming events

 

 

WEBINAR: Status and Future of Bioeconomy Education - Learning from EU projects

to be held on Friday 19 November from 9.00 -12.00 CET

The Bioeconomy is complex with many enterprises interacting in the circular economy. At all levels of education - from school, vocational education and training (VET), universities and life-long learning - there is a need to develop new instructional constructs or modify existing programmes.  This updating will ensure that we address the requirement to deliver our students with the skills to support the change from a fossil fuel economy to the green circular economy of which the sustainable circular bioeconomy is a central part.

Several EU Commission projects focusing on bioeconomy education have been invited to present the outcomes of their projects, or projected outcomes if the project is ongoing, at a series of Webinars held on 4 & 5 November. We  asked each coordinator (or partner) of the project to share their experience with us of how the outcomes of their project have, or will, impact on education for the sustainable circular bioeconomy.

The follow up Webinar Workshop on 19 November will discuss how the projects have impacted on the different target groups and identification of the need for new developments in education for the sustainable circular bioeconomy

Download the flyer and register here !! 

This will be an opening discussion to the planned Colloquium 2022 – Interdisciplinary Education for the Bioeconomy.  The Collqouium proposed dates of Thursday 13 and Friday 14 January have been cancelled because of the current uncertainty of rising threat of COVID in Europe.  New dates in the Spring are being sought with the need to find a suitable loaction.

The Webinar and the Colloquium are organised by the ICA Community of Practice for Bioeocnomy Education (ICA CoP Bio-Edu).

ICA General Assembly 2021

The ICA General Assembly 2021 was held on Wednesday 20 October 2021 at 17.00 at the Irish College Leuven, Janseniusstraat 1, Leuven, Belgium.  The new ICA Strategy towards 2030 was approved - see the Strategy