ERABEE-TN Project: Filling in the Database on Biosystems Engineering Study Programs

1. Filling in the database onBiosystems Engineering study programs :14th October 2008

2. Filling in the database onBiosystems Engineering study programs :3rd December 2008

3. During the TECHNO TN 09 Forum, held in Bruxelles (Belgium) on the 5-6 June 2009 : TECHNOTN 09 Forum • a poster about ERABEE-TN project was presented and flyers about the same project were distributed; • together with the ERABEE coordinator, Prof. Demetres Briassoulis, I participated to Theme 1 “Lifelong Learning for Professors”.

4. At the ICA-CEDIA Conference, held in Leuven (Belgium) on the 10-13 June 2009, during the ICA (Association for European Life Sciences Universities) General Assembly, on the 10th June 2009 : ICA-CEDIA Conference : ICA General Assembly • Prof. Eduardo Augusto dos Santos Rosa, Vice-Rector of the University of Tras-os-Montes e Alto Duro (Portugal), told me that he wants to become a member of ERABEE or, however, contribute to the related project, for developing degree study programs and writing dissemination papers about biomaterials, biofuels, properties of woods for biomaterials and other uses. He also wants to be invited to the next workshops, using EU funds or his own funds. • I referred to Simon Heath, ICA Secretary General, that the Steering Committee of ERABEE will decide which member of the network will participate to the 10th European Conference on Higher Agricultural Education, Zagreb, 16-20 June 2010, considered as a dissemination activity of ERABEE itself.

5. At the ICA-CEDIA Conference, during the ICA Council, held in Leuven (Belgium) on the 10th June 2009, at the point n. 3 of the agenda “Brainstorming to enhance cooperation between ICA and Standing Committees”, I reported that : ICA-CEDIA Conference : ICA Council • ERABEE is also addressing the question of accreditation and would be interested in the establishment of a European accreditation agency; • ERABEE has already been in contact with EurAgEng, which could be the recognition body of Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering study programs.

6. During the ICA-CEDIA Conference, the 10 min presentation about ERABEE-TN, shown on the 11th of June 2009, gives rise to some interest. In fact : ICA-CEDIA Conference :presentation about ERABEE-TN • Prof. Milan Mesic of the University of Zagreb (Croatia), teaching "Agrometeorology" (1st cycle program) and "Global ecology" (2nd cycle program), would like to contribute to the ERABEE project, using EU funds or his own ones, and to be invited to the next workshops of the network. He carries out research about soil erosion, water analysis from soil cores for nitrogen fertilisation, liming of acid soils (using a laboratory for CNS analysis for plant materials and biomaterials and ION cromatographer for anion and cation analysis and a spectrophotometer for soil and plant compounds), and in the future he wants to validate the data from satellite imagery (call for grants for international students for 1-3 month periods will be published in his Faculty web-site).

7. At the ICA-CEDIA Conference, on the 11th June 2009, during the discussion following the presentation of Nina Quelenis, Head of “Competitive Intelligence of the Association Industries & Agro-Resources” (France) : ICA-CEDIA Conference : discussion • I mentioned Bioplastics project, developed by AUA and University of Bari; • I referred that ERABEE is developing degree study programs about biomaterials, so that the speaker told me that she wants to be in contact with the partners of the network project and to collaborate with them, for developing degree study programs about biomaterials.

8. During the ICA-CEDIA Conference, the 20 min presentation about the questionnaire "University-Enterprise Cooperation“, shown on the 12th of June 2009, gives rise to some questions. ICA-CEDIA Conference : presentation about the questionnaire "University-Enterprise Cooperation" • During the round table following my presentation, to which I was also invited to participate, I proposed to define the kind of involvement of industries into the curricula restructuring/development and to establish internships according to the French model and, finally, Simon Heath told that our survey has to be developed further. • Also the President of CEDIA (European Confederation of Agronomists Associations) appreciated the presentation and invited me to participate to the CEDIA meeting, in order to represent Italy. During this meeting, which was held on the 13th of June 2009, he also invited me and Prof. Pierluigi Febo to participate to the next 2 meetings of CEDIA, in Berlin (in the week 15-24/01/2010) and Leuven (maybe 30/09-02/10/2010).

9. During the 9th National Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering - AIIA, held in Ischia Porto, Naples, on the 12-16 September 2009 : 9th National Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering • the paper “From Agricultural Engineering to Biosystems Engineering : teaching and research in Europe and US”, by A. Comparetti, P. Febo, S. Orlando and G. Scarascia Mugnozza, was included as keynote paper of the related Proceedings and presented as poster; • a poster about ERABEE-TN was presented; • about 50 flyers of the ERABEE project were distributed; • I explained the ERABEE project to some professors and researchers members of AIIA, e.g. P. Busato, P, Balsari and R. Berruto (University of Turin), D. Pianese, C. Covelli, A. Palumbo, L. Boccia, S. Faugno and R. Infascelli (University of Naples), A. Calcante (University of Milan), M. Barbari (University of Florence).

10. According to my opinion, my participation, as ERABEE delegate, to the ICA-CEDIA Conference resulted the best of these 3 dissemination activities of the project, more than that to TECHNO TN 09 and AIIA Conference, and not only because there all the copies of the project flyer were taken ! Conclusions

11. Thank you ! Grazie ! Gracias ! Merci ! Danke ! Dekuji ! Tak ! Bedankt ! Aitah ! Kiitos ! Efrarixto ! Aciu ! Takk ! Dziekuje ! Obrigado ! Multumesc ! D’akujem ! Tack !