Multy-Country Joint Project «Environmental curricula at agricultural universities» (ENAGRA)

159188-TEMPUS-1-2009-1-PL-TEMPUS-JPCR

Project goals and objectives:

To bring three cycle structure curricula and teaching methods at Project partner universities, in the priority discipline of environment, into line with the Bologna requirements by June 2011.

From 29th till 30th of March 2010 within a framework of Joint Project Tempus ENAGRA Kick-off Meting of the Consortium Members was held at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.

From September 12-16, 2010 International Seminar on the basis of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine was held at Yalta Scientific and Educational Center of the Biology and Ecology of Landscape and Subtropical Plants.

On January 23-29, 2011 2 Professors from the Ecology Department (prof. Krektun Bohdan and Hnativ Petro) visited the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria,.

During the visit the presentation of Areas of Competence in Teaching and Research was made. Those included: : Soil, plants, and living beings; Land use, landscape, and infrastructure; Water, atmosphere, and environment; Alternative biogenic materials and bio-energy; Biotechnology; Forestry and wood sciences; Agricultural sciences; Food technology sciences.

The lecturers of the university shared their experience on the  modernisation of a  number of courses on the specialty “Environmental Protection” .

At the Departments of Water, Atmosphere and Environment and in the  Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control they got acquainted with teaching methods and scientific and research activities of the academic staff in the issues of  protection the  natural water resources, river morphology and sediment transport,  water quality, hydrobiology and aquatic ecosystem, river restoration, concepts restoration ecology, current priority regards climate change.

They have also got experience how to upgrade the teaching laboratories, to update the library resources, and to create a relevant data base, how to involve the students into both educational and practical process.

On February 20-27, 2011 2 professors from the Ecology Department went on a training courses held for representatives of a consortium from Ukraine and Russian Federation at the Ghent University (Belgium)

During the visit to the Ghent University participants met with rector of the university, prof. Paul Van Cauwenberge, and dean of the Bioengineering faculty, prof. Guido Van Huylenbroeck. Participants of the project got acquainted with programs for Bachelor and Master students of the Bioengineering Faculty(both home and international students).

The variety of programs include undergraduate program of the Bioengineering students (3 years), 7 master's programs of the Bioengineering (2 years), 7 international master's programs (in the English language, 2 years), specialized Master programs of the Environmental Sanitation and Management (1 year) and the Integrated Water Resources Management program (1 year) and PhD programs in Biology.

Participants of the project visited Environmental sanitation center, laboratories of analytical chemistry and applied ecochemistry, organic chemistry, soil management, laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Ecology of Water Ecosystems and the laboratory of Plant Ecology.

 

On March 7-11, 2011 international workshop and training courses for representatives of the consortium partner universities from Russia and Ukraine (Saratov State Agrarian University, Buryat State Agricultural Academy, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Buryatia, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv National Agrarian University) was held in AgroSup Dijon (National Superior Institute of Agronomic Sciences, Food and the Environment, France).

Within the study tour a number of study programs for Bachelor and Master level such as "Engineer", "Master" of AgroSup University Dijon were presented.

They also visited the Institute of National School of Higher Education EDUTER where they met with administration and teaching staff (Director of the Institute - Jean Shevaldone).

They discussed the higher education system in France and Ukraine, the national peculiarities of educational systems and their place in European space.

They also got acquainted with technical support, service station, computer classes, electronic library, online support service, conducting distance conferences and lectures, students book shop and Formagri platform.

From March 27 to April 2, 3 Participants from our university (the Rector V. Snitynskyy and 2 Vice-Rectors) took part in the study visit at Warsaw University of Life Science (SGGW). The participants of the meeting exchange presentations on study programs in environmental sciences in their universities. They also met with administrative and managing staff of SGGW.

On March 28 there was a meeting with vice-dean of agrarian faculty, Dr. Joseph Hojincki, and heads of departments of this faculty SGGW. During the meeting participants learned about Bachelor and Master Programs of the faculty.

The participants got acquainted with different study programs at Bachelor and Master levels. Special attention was paid for training of students at School of Agricultural Engineering (ETSEA). The trainees visited Departments of the School: Agroforesty Engineering department, Horticulture, Fruit Growing Botany and Gardening, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Animal Husbandry, Plant Production and Forest Science Chemistry, Food Technology.

They also visited research and teaching facilities on waste products utilization in agriculture, research and teaching facilities in horticulture, research laboratories, vine yards, the library, the international office.

On 06-09 November, 2012 the final conference on Tempus Multi-Country Joint Project “Environmental Curricula at Agricultural Universities” (ENAGRA) 159188-TEMPUS-1-2009-1-PL-TEMPUS-JPCR was held at Lviv National Agrarian University.

Final conference was aimed to summarize three-year project that had started in January 2010.
32 participants took part at the conference from different universities: Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland), National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), Lviv National Agrarian University (Ukraine), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), Ghent University (Belgium), University of Lleida (Spain), Saratov State Agrarian University (Russia), Buryat State Agricultural Academy (Russia), Institute EDUTER (France), IROICA, ICA.

Over the period from January 2010 to January 2013 the LNAU followed all the activities stipulated by the project.

On March 29-30, 2010 the coordinator of the project from LNAU Olga Ishchenko took part in a kick-off meeting of all the consortium members. The main goal of the meeting was to meet the participants from European, Russian and Ukrainian universities (the presentation were made by each consortium member), discuss the management groups, activities to be fulfilled for the three year of the project.

On September 12-16, 2010 two participants from LNAU took part in the International Workshop in Crimean Agro-Technology University and made a presentation “Training of Master students in specialty “Ecology at LNAU”.

As the main goal of the project is to bring three cycle structure curricula and teaching methods in the discipline “Ecology” and “Agro Ecology”  into line with Bologna requirements LNAU started with the assessment of the existing courses in order to select the courses to be modernized and to be developed as new ones at LNAU.

For this purpose the 4 working groups were organized at the Department of Ecology and Biology headed by Associate Professor Khirivskyy Petro.

After assessment the existing courses and consultations with the European partners the working group elaborated the target curricula.