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EU awards ‘Seal of Excellence’ for European University initiative on sustainable agri-food systems
The European Commission awarded the European University SUSTAIN-LIFE initiative with a ‘Seal of Excellence’ as a part of Erasmus+ programme. This award recognizes outstanding project proposals that meet high evaluation standards. It also means this project could not be funded by the EU funding programme due to limited resources.
The goal of the European University SUSTAIN-LIFE initiative is fair, healthy and sustainable agricultural and food systems in Europe and worldwide. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is one of twelve university partners in the alliance, all leaders in the field of life sciences. Together they contribute to a more sustainable world with innovative, networked research and higher education. Climate change, biodiversity loss and population growth, urbanization and unsustainable use of resources have serious consequences. They threaten food security, ecosystems and human and animal health. SUSTAIN-LIFE aims to reduce hunger, preserve the environment and strengthen the rural economy in Europe and worldwide through outstanding research.
Changemakers of tomorrow
However, it is not only outstanding research that is of great importance. Excellent teaching is just as important.
In order to prepare students at the SUSTAIN-LIFE universities for this, the European University wants to focus on challenge-driven teaching. For example, the development of a flexible and personalized study system will be a central component. It should enable students from the partner universities to select courses that match their individual interests and career goals and to gain access to leading research institutions.
Origin of SUSTAIN-LIFE
The European University SUSTAIN-LIFE initiative has its origins in the European alliance ELLS (Euroleague for Life Sciences). Since 2001, this network of higher education and research institutions has been working together successfully in the fields of natural resource management, agricultural and forestry sciences, life sciences, veterinary sciences, food sciences, and environmental sciences.
Members of this alliance are leading the SUSTAIN-LIFE initiative, coordinated by Wageningen University & Research (WUR). They do this in partnership with the following network associates:
- Sweden: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Germany: University of Hohenheim
- Czech Republic: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
- France: L'Institut Agro
- Norway: Norwegian University of Life Sciences
- Estonia: Estonian University of Life Sciences
- Spain: Universidad de Lleida
- Italy: Università degli Studi della Tuscia
Additionally, there are two associate partners in Austria and Poland - the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU) and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. Also contributing are international academic partners such as Lincoln University in New Zealand, and about 60 non-academic partners including La Coopération Agricole (France); ESN International (Student Association); BonArea Agrupa (Spain); the Estonian society for nature conservation (Estonia); and the Groenpact network (Netherlands).