ICA, Association for European Life Science Universities, is a network of more than 50 universities from the EU and neighbouring countries (European Higher Education Area, EHEA).  The life science universities relate to the circular bioeconomy (agriculture, forestry, food value chain & biobased economy), the sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity, the protection of the environment and rural development.

ICA was founded in 1988 as the Interfaculty Committee Agraria, but now with a change of name to the Association for European Life Science Universities, but keeping the acronym ICA.

One of the most significant challenges facing a European higher education institution is the competition from other higher education institutions at the European level and worldwide. To succeed, an institution needs to strive to enhance the quality of its provision and to engage in the international arena.

ICA’s vision is to enhance our members’ success in the international market place, in Europe and globally, by providing a supportive environment to share experience, to cooperate in new ventures, and to benefit from the resulting synergy.

ICA links eight ICA Standing Committees under the umbrella of the ICA Council. The ICA Standing Committees have either a discipline or cross discipline support focus. The ICA Council acts as a forum to support networking and the initiation of new ventures between Standing Committees and ICA.

ICA also liaises with other European and international networks, and with international student associations <more>

Full Membership is open to all higher education institutions in Europe with a focus on the circular bioeconomy (agriculture, forestry, food value chain & biobased economy), the sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity, the protection of the environment and rural development in the 48 countries subscribing to the Bologna process. Associate Membership is open to universities outside of the EHEA.

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ICA's collaboration with our partner Networks 

ICA, in seeking to fulfil its mission, collaborates closely with several international networks.  The most active of these has been the collaboration with Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (A-P-L-U) in the US.  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (the former name of A-P-L-U) and ICA in 2000.  This main outcome of this collaboration has been a series of conferences.  In 2010 we celebrated the success of this collaboration and signed a new Memorandum of Understanding  this time also including the Association of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (CFAVM). 

ICA has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS). 

ICA is a Board member of the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for the Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA)

The Networks with whom ICA associates closely are: 

Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for the Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) 

GCHERA, the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture, was set up in 1999 by leaders from HumboldUniversity (Germany). IowaStateUniversity (USA), and KievUniversity (Ukraine). 

This Consortium was conceived as a global association of universities with the following mission to develop a world system of cooperation in Higher Education and Research for Agriculture, to support activities and the close cooperation with international organizations, and to strengthen the influence of the agricultural universities on a global scale. 

In 2011 GCHERA was reconstituted as a global confederation of international and national higher education associations relating to the agricultural and life sciences.   ICA participates as a Board member of GCHERA.  The intention is to develop GCHERA to support the collaboration of higher education associations worldwide in addition to holding a biannual conference.

The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (A-P-L-U)

Initially founded in 1887,  as the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) was created with the merger in 1963 of the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and StateUniversities with the National Association of State Universities. NASULGC was renamed as the Association of Public and Land-GrantUniversities (A-P-L-U) in 2009.  It is the oldest higher education association in the US and has 218 institutional memberships from each of the 50 state and US territories.  The member institutions enrol more than 3.7 million students and award approximately 750,000 degrees annually. 

APLU is dedicated to advancing learning, discovery and engagement and to supporting high quality public higher education and its member institutions as they perform their teaching, research and public service roles. The Association provides a forum for the discussion, development, and advancement of policies and programs affecting higher education and the public interest. 

The Association of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (ACFAVM)

ACFAVM is comprised of thirteen faculties of agriculture and veterinary medicine in eleven of the most distinguished universities across Canada. Combined, these faculties represent over 40 percent of all publicly funded research in animal health, agriculture and food, and generate all of the veterinary medicine graduates and nearly all of the undergraduate and graduate degrees in agriculture, food and related fields in Canada.   The CFAVM was officially created in 1989 with its mission to strengthen collaborative arrangements among the researchers, educators and scientists within its membership and with counterparts around the world.

The European Confederation of Agronomists Associations (CEDIA)

CEDIA was founded on 23 June 1987, following an initiative by national agronomists attached to the European Institutions in Brussels. On 13th October 1996 CEDIA became an official non-profit organization

This body brings together under the one umbrella the representative organisations and associations of agronomists from several European countries. It is the European representative body of national associations of agronomists.  Our individual members are graduates in the agricultural sciences / engineering

The International Student Associations 

International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS)

Founded in 1957 inTunis by 8 countries, the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences (IAAS) is at the moment one of the world's largest student organizations and one of the leading agricultural student associations. Its committees are spread in universities in over 40 countries worldwide. IAAS’ mission is to promote the exchange of experience, knowledge and ideas, and to improve the mutual understanding between students in the field of agriculture and related sciences all over the world"

The International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) 

IFSAis a non political and not for profit organisation of tertiary level forestry students around the world. The statutes were first approved at the 18th General Assembly in 1990 and became a truly world-wide organisation in 1994. IFSA is dedicated to global cooperation among students of forest sciences in order to broaden knowledge and understanding to prepare a sustainable future for the world’s forest and related ecosystems. Membership is currently comprised of 76 local committees of universities in 52 countries.

IFSA’s mission is to provide a platform for students of forest sciences to enrich formal education, promote cultural understanding by encouraging collaboration with international partner organisations and to gain practical experiences with a wider and more global perspective. Through its network, IFSA encourages student meetings, enables participation in scientific debates, and supports the involvement of youth in decision making processes and international forest and environmental policy.

ICA is governed by the ICA General Assembly which comprises one representative from each Full Member Institutions (not Associate members).  The ICA General Assembly meets once per year.

The General Assembly has authority to:

1. Determine the general policy of the Association;
2. Admit or exclude members;
3. Elect the Board members and approve the Board’s  selection of the members of the Executive Committee including the Secretary General
4. Approve the balance sheet, accounts and budgets;
5. Recognise organisations as Standing Committees;
6. Make amendments to the Statutes of the Association;
7. Take any decision exceeding the powers legally or statutorily granted to the Board;
8. Terminate voluntarily the Association.

Meetings of the ICA General Assembly

2024 ICA General Assembly

2023 ICA General Assembly

2020 ICA General Assembly

2019 ICA General Assembly

2018 ICA General Assembly

2017 ICA General Assembly

2016 ICA General Assembly

2011 ICA General Assembly

2010 ICA General Assembly

2009 ICA General Assembly Approved and signed Minutes

2008 ICA General Assembly Approved and signed minutes