The Erasmus-Plus Strategic Partnership ABBEE (Accelerating the transition towards the Bio-Based Economy via Education) will present four new MSC courses on bioeconomy on 22 September, during the online Scientific Forum of European Bioeconomy University (EBU) 2021.
During the first day of this forum, Gerlinde van Vilsteren (Wageningen University & Research) will hold a workshop on these new courses. They are intended for the training of future experts and the further training of workers.
The courses are as follows:
- Concepts of sustainable economy (lead partner: University of Hohenheim)
Bioeconomics is a relatively new concept that builds on the visions of sustainable social transformation. Future professionals in the biobased economy need to be able to adopt holistic and systemic approaches. Therefore, this course explains the relevance of the biobased economy and the underlying conceptual approaches in a comprehensive manner. - Advanced Sustainable Entrepreneurship (lead partner: Wageningen University)
Sustainable entrepreneurship offers a new perspective on business models, focusing on circularity and social impact alongside economic growth and scale potential. It is widely recognised as the answer to the environmental and social challenges we face as a society. For this course, a case study on lignin will be set up, with input from UEF. - Forest bioeconomy in Europe (Lead partner: University of Eastern Finland)
Bioproducts from wood conversion contribute to the bio-economy by providing sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products. But forests also provide important ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity and recreational opportunities. How do these seemingly contradictory interests and economic drivers interact? The focus is on forestry activities in Europe, the production of wood products, paper, cardboard and pulp, chemicals, energy and the valorisation of by-products and waste in industry. - Sustainable agricultural production for biorefinery and bioenergy (Lead partner: Aarhus University)
This course aims to provide students with the interdisciplinary understanding needed to identify the advantages and disadvantages of specific crops for biorefinery and energy production. They should also have knowledge of biomass requirements for different conversion technologies and the benefits of technology integration. Finally, they need to develop the ability to consider the environmental and climate impacts of different cultivation systems and biomass processing.
The EBU Forum provides a platform for the presentation of research, the promotion of networking and the intensification of collaborations between scientists and partners of the EBU network.
The forum and the workshop on the new courses are open to everyone free of charge after registration. Please check the agenda for more information.
Image: Smileus/Shutterstock
