Martin H. Gerzabek, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences

1. ICA- Regional Network for Central and South Eastern Europe- CASEEReasons for creating this network and suggestions for future activities Martin H. Gerzabek, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences

2. Facts and Figures (I) of BOKU Vienna Students: 9.500 Scientific staff: ~1.200 (850 financed by projects) Other staff: 430 Teaching, research and administrative facilities are located throughout Vienna at 20 different sites. Most of them are in the green districts – the 18th and 19th district – and are readily accessible by public transportation. BOKU main building: A-1180 Vienna, Gregor Mendel-Strasse 33

3. Facts and Figures (II) of BOKU Vienna Total budget: ~ EUR 100 mio. External funds (2009): EUR 33 mio. Number of ongoing projects: 750 Scientific publications (2009): ~2500 Co-operation contracts with partner companies and universities world-wide: 331

4. Vienna, Türkenschanze, Muthgasse Major sites of BOKU Tulln

5. Challenges for the knowledge society I(UNESCO Forum Occasional Paper Series Paper No. 4, Carlos Tünnermann Bernheim and Marilena deSouza Chaui, 2003) • emergence of a new economic and productive paradigm • most advanced economies are based on the greatest availability of knowledge • knowledge and information became integrated into capital itself • internationally recorded discipline-based knowledge took 1,750 years to double for the first time, counting from the start of the Christian era; it then doubled in volume every 150 years and then every 50. It now doubles every five years. • It is estimated that every four years the amount of information available in the world doubles; as the analysts observe, however, we are only capable of giving attention to between about 5% and 10% of that information.

6. Challenges for the knowledge society II(UNESCO Forum Occasional Paper Series Paper No. 4, Carlos Tünnermann Bernheim and Marilena deSouza Chaui, 2003) • How to handle the knowledge increase? • How to judge the relevance of the additional knowledge? • Time-space compression: makes itself felt in universities, with reduced graduation andpost-graduation time and also less time for masters dissertations (political will and economic pressure). Increased speed in teaching, less time for the reception of the information. • The greater complexity of the knowledge calls for increased interdisciplinarity in teaching and research • Scarcity of time in an university for reflection, criticism and an examination of the instituted knowledge and possibleways of transforming or moving beyond

7. Challenges for universities in the knowledge society • Knowledge generation • Relevance of the studies • Internalization of higher education: acting internationally in research and teaching, but applying the knowledge to local and regional problems • Balance between the basic functions of teaching, research and service • Quality in research and teaching • Improving the administration of higher education

8. Higher education as basis for the regulation of the human population growth. Source: Popnet No. 41, IIASA 2010

9. HANPP %: Human appropriation of net primary production. Helmut Haberl, Karl-Heinz Erb, Fridolin Krausmann, Veronika Gaube, Alberte Bondeau, Christof Plutzar, Somone Gingrich, Wolfgang Lucht and Marina Fischer-Kowalski. 2007. Quantifying and mapping the global human appropriation of net primary production in Earth's terrestrial ecosystem. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 104: 12942-12947.

10. Malnutrion world wide in the year 2009; regions (in Billions),FAO 2009, The State of Food Insecurity in the World

11. Reasons for the ICA-CASEE network • Enormous challenges for university development at present • Bologna process • Excellence in research, education and university management (increasing competition between higher education institutions!) • Specific challenges for life science universities to develop the basis for the future development of mankind • Food and water security, environmental protection • Sustainable use of natural resources (soil, bioresources, water,..) • Development of high-end technological methods in biotechnology (biorefinery, renewable energy,....) • Landscape development; town- and country planning • And many more.....

12. Reasons for the ICA-CASEE network EU-Strategy for the Danube Region (http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/danube/index_en.htm) The European Council has formally asked the European Commission to prepare an EU Strategy for the Danube Region before the end of 2010 : “Sustainable development should also be pursued through an integrated approach to the specific challenges facing particular regions (…).” The Danube Region in this context refers to: Germany (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria), Austria, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine What is the added value for other Member States?First of all, a better Danube Region will be better for the union as a whole. Secondly the EUSDR, tests a macro-region working method. It could be viewed as a pilot project for the rest of the EU, a show case for more efficient cooperation and coordination. The Strategy is envisaged to be endorsed by Member States under the Hungarian presidency in the first half of 2011. However, it should be noted, that the Strategy will be an ongoing process and that the adoption of the Strategy will only mark the start of the implementation phase and not the end of the exercise. 12 13.11.2014

13. Why ICA? (Association for European Life Science Universities) • Founded in 1988 as the Interfaculty Committee Agraria, ICA, is a network of more than 60 life science universities, from the EU and neighbouring countries (European Higher Education Area). • ICA’s vision is to enhance the 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 also liaises with other European and international networks, and with international student associations.

14. Why Central and South Eastern Europe? • Many historical links between universities are already active • Region comprised of EU member states, candidate countries and possible candidates • Important region for the European Union development • Region of tremendous development in ecological, economical and societal respect • Region with a highly significant potential for further economical growth and improvement. • High cross-linking of economies (investors, multi-national companies,...)

16. Regional distribution of founding members of ICA-CASEE

17. BOKU Co-operation with CASEE partner countries, grouped by activity

18. Major aims of the ICA-CASEE network • ICA-CASEE is a non profit organisation which aims to stimulate and support its member institutions in the development of a European dimension in education and research through the development of concerted actions and in engaging globally. • Fostering of regional university co-operation on all different levels and topics: • Improving university management and development • Improving teaching programmes and foster educational co-operations between universities • Leverage and encourage research co-operations using the programmes of e.g. • The EU Framework • Joint Programming? • new “Action”-Programs of Austria and neighbouring countries

19. Universität für Bodenkultur Wien Rector Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Martin H. Gerzabek Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, A-1190 Vienna Tel.: +43 1 47654-1001, Fax: +43 1 47654-1005 Martin.gerzabek@boku.ac.at , www.boku.ac.at Acknowledgement: To all founding members of CASEE!!! Margarita Calderon-Peter & her team, The keynote speakers, Thank you for your attention!