The University of Hohenheim has a wide range of experience in the field of academic co-operation. Among others, the University of Hohenheim draws on numerous experiences with Tempus Projects.
With the support of the Bund-Länder Kommission in 1999 the University of Hohenheim replaced its 4.5-year diploma degree course in agricultural sciences by a three-years Bachelor course followed by the option of 8 different two-year Master courses (5 German, 3 English taught). The grant-applicant, Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz, was one of the main actors in this project and was responsible for establishing a new two-years course dealing with agribusiness ("Master’s of Agribusiness"), which he is currently heading.
Prof. Doluschitz is further grantholder of the Tempus project CD_JEP_17108-2002 "Reform of Agricultural Studies in Croatia", giving him sound experience in the reform process of post-Yugoslav university structures. Like in JEP 17108, Prof. Doluschitz will be supported administratively by the Eastern Europe Centre of the University of Hohenheim. The responsibility of this centre is to support and to co-ordinate interdisciplinary activities within the university’s specific areas of natural sciences, agricultural sciences and economics concerning Eastern Europe. In the last 8 years numerous Tempus Phare, Tacis and Cards projects have been coordinated by the Eastern Europe Centre (JEP-12316-1997, JEP-12069-1997, JEP-14051-1999, T-JEP-10014-1995, JEP-10738-1999).
At the moment the centre is responsible for the co-ordination of four projects in the Balkan region: "Enhancing and Complementing Postgraduate Education in Balkan Countries with Emphasis on Regional Planning and Institutional Development in Rural Areas" (CD-JEP-15050-2000), "Institutional Evaluation at the Agricultural Universities" (UM-JEP-16079-2001), "Reform of Agriculture Education in Croatia (CD-JEP-17108-2002) and "Reform of Agricultural Studies in SCG" (CD-JEP-18063-2003), having (multiple) contacts with consortium members of the proposal. Against this background it can be stated that the achieved results in the projects will be disseminated to all of the different partners of this project network.
Individual expert Dr. Cosmin Salasan from Romania has a wide range of experiences in the field of rural development, extension services and agriculture and information management. Mr Salasan is fluent in Serbian and English.
The German Agency for Technical Cooperation GTZ GmbH is an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. It provides viable, forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis. GTZ is a German federal enterprise based near Frankfurt a.M. Founded in 1975 as a company under private law, its major clients are the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), other German ministries, partner-country governments and international clients such as the European Commission, the UNO or the World Bank as well as private enterprises. GTZ works on a public-benefit basis, channelling back any surpluses generated into its own international cooperation projects for sustainable development. GTZ can draw on over 12 years of experience in South East Europe, assisting and advising the partner countries’ governments in the establishment of a working market economy and adaptation to world markets, modernisation of agriculture and food-sector, political regional development, resource management and enhancing SME and other goals on their way to a stronger European integration. GTZ maintains own offices in all consortium partner cities.
The Agency for the development of agriculture and rural areas (LEL) of the federal state of Baden Wuerttemberg in Schwaebisch Gmuend is a service centre for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural areas of Baden Wuerttemberg. Its main duty is to support the regional agricultural offices in their administrative, advisory and vocational training tasks, by providing further training for employees and training materials. The LEL provides a well equipped seminar centre (10-120 trainees) and an own guesthouse. There is an excellent business connection between LEL and the grant coordinator as a result of various Leonardo da Vinci projects (RO/01/B/F/141072, SK/01/B/F/PP-142243, etc.). The LEL will be in charge of providing the 4-weeks traineeships for the Balkan experts.
The Biotechnical Faculty Ljubljana, Slovenia, Chair of Agricultural Policy, is part of the University of Ljubljana founded in 1919. The Chair of Agricultural Policy was established in 1996 as the university's unit for education and research in the broad array of issues linked with agricultural and rural development policy analysis. The Chair is the only national university unit in this field and its members participate in the teaching process in various faculties of the University of Ljubljana. Prof. Erjavec regularly participates at the MSc programme of Agricultural Economics in BOKU, Vienna. The Chair is actively participating in activities linked with the reform of the study programmes at the University of Ljubljana in line with the requirements of the Bologna declaration. The faculty can draw on relevant international research and cooperation projects, advisory and policy evaluation work (in cooperation with DG Agri). Prof. Erjavec played an active role in the EU-Accession negotiations as a member of the Core Negotiation Group.
The institution is also very active in the area of food industry economics as wel as food safety and quality.
Its expertise and experience qualify the institution as fully capable to provide support in the fields of training and policy advice on an international scale. Due to their thorough acquaintance with locally-specific development needs and priorities of the agri-food sector and rural development, the chair team’s qualifications in this field would best suit to the wider Western Balkan area. Some advisory work was already accomplished in this field, as for instance "Strategy of the adjustment of Macedonian Agriculture to the Common agricultural policy" (consultancy work, 2003-2004).
The partner faculties’ respectively universities’ members of this initiative are selected according to their willingness to support sector changes and to implement the Bologna declaration (assessed by participation in different Tempus projects and other activities such as the development of agricultural and poverty reduction strategies, different IB projects, review of agricultural administration, technical support for sector institutions, providing different types of LLL) and their ability to attract important sector institutions to join this initiative and to finance the infrastructure established (informational and administrative office) after the project is finished, which is seen as a key factor for the sustainability of the whole initiative.
The Agricultural University of Tirana, Project Coordinator, is the unique center for undergraduate and graduate studies, scientific research, training and extension in the area of agriculture and food in Albania. Since the beginning of the 1990's there is a strong cooperation between the AUT and the University of Hohenheim, reflected especially in a notably high number of Tempus projects.
The Center for Rural Studies and Sustainable Development, is an independent, non-profit and evenhanded research and development organization set up in 1998. The main goal is to contribute in the socio-economic and institutional transition and sustainable development of Albania in the framework of its future regional, European and international integration.
Its mission is to support financially and technically the SCAs in rural areas, which are financial institutions in the village, created and managed by their members. The SCAs' objective is to incite the income generating activities in rural areas. In order to reach its objective the Union is vitally interested in the project in order to strengthen the capacity of credit officers (clerks) to ensure sustainability of approved development projects (credits).
The Agribusiness School "Irakli Terova", High school. The school has a 50-year long tradition in agricultural vocational training. Five years ago they started a new profile - agribusiness. Over the years, as many as 3900 students have graduated from this school. However, only two of the employees are able to speak English.
The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sarajevo (FAS), Project Coordinator. It is the oldest agricultural academic institution that is providing education on B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D level with long tradition of adult and on-the-job education. It is one of the most active B&H faculties with regard to TEMPUS project implementation and transition towards the Bologna principles. Its long tradition, active role within the sector (participation in numerous development and IB projects) prove its ability to attract key stakeholders and to provide high quality services.
The State Ministry of Foreign trade and economical relations as a top management institution is in charge for the policy making and sector upgrade according to EU standards. This ministry is in charge of very important executive agencies which are on their way to start to operate.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water management as an important player at the entity level because of its close cooperation with cantonal level governments. The public administration review clearly indicated that the civil servants are lacking both managerial skills as well as deeper understanding of the EU integration processes. Strengthening this institution positive impact as a domino effect on cantonal level Ministry of agriculture is expected as well.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Canton Tuzla – The agricultural office is the Cantonal executive agency dealing with development of agricultural policies, subsidy schemes, extension and developmental work. The Office is executing the cantonal subsidy schemes. The main two pillars of its developmental strategy are staff development and establishment of partnership with other sector institutions in order to overcome existing human capacity gap. The level of foreign language skills is very low. This project is seen as a tool to reach this goal.
The Agricultural Institute, Una-Sana Canton is also a cantonal executive agency dealing with knowledge and information transfers within the agricultural sector. The institute is engaged in the preparation of different main development documents (Cantonal strategy, poverty reduction etc.) as well as in the execution of subsidy schemes. The English skills of the employees are low. The institute is seeing the project as an excellent tool to upgrade human capacity and establish better cooperation with respective institutions within the region.
BETA – a non-governmental civil society administration deeply engaged in capacity building within the sector. It will ensure the spreading of understanding and knowledge about EU integration processes and its impacts on the sector within its network of farmers, farmers associations, developmental NGO’s and industry.
The Faculty of Agriculture and Food, University of Ss Cyril and Methodius – Skopje. The Faculty was established in 1947, with a decision from the Macedonian Government, as one of the first educational and scientific institutions in Macedonia. The Faculty offers education on B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D level. Furthermore, the Faculty offers different forms of on-the-job and permanent training for the whole sector. Through different research and development projects the Faculty is contributing to the sector's development and its integration into the EU. One of the Faculty's priorities is the re-establishing of close cooperations with other Balkan universities in order to be in the position to share scarce resources.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy – MAFWE is guiding the sector of agriculture, forestry and water economy toward the acceleration of legal and institutional alignment, investment and employment prospects in the sector. Moreover, after the completion of the legal harmonisation process, additional efforts need to be directed to the proper implementation of the newly established rules and regulations.
The Agency for motivating the development of the agriculture in the Republic of Macedonia was established in order to provide professional assistance for the individual agricultural workers – farmers, with the aim to improve the quality and the quantity of the agricultural production and to increase the extent of exploitation of the production. This executive agency needs to strengthen the capacity of middle management in order to be able to shape up rural development of Macedonia.
The Agrocombinat "Dzumajlija" AD Lozovo with 5800 hectares produces agricultural products and exports vine from its own vineyards. In order to reach the main business objective to export to the EU market, the Agrocombinat needs to strengthen its ability to manage product quality, ensure food safety and understand the EU market as well as the EU legislation.
The Farmer associations of Macedonia represent the individual farmers with interactive functions among themselves, contributing to further communications enhancement and establishing new linkages with other farmer associations from the country and from abroad, especially with those from the countries of the European Union, and improving the business collaboration with domestic commercial firms that operate in the field of agriculture as well.
The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad is one of the most important institutions in the education in the agricultural sector in the region of Vojvodina. The Faculty has a strong cooperation with all stakeholders in agriculture (ministries, secretaries on regional level, scientific institutions, extension services, associations and food industry). The Faculty of Novi Sad participates furthermore in the Tempus project "Institutional Evaluation of the Agricultural Universities" (UM-JEP-16709-2001).
The Provincial Secretary for Agriculture, Water Economy and Forestry represents the Ministry of Agriculture on regional level of Vojvodina.
The Provincial Department of Education and Culture of Vojvodina is the main institution in education related issues in Vojvodina. Its main activities are the development of education and culture and their adjustment to European standards.
The Club 100 P+ (100 Farmers +) deals with the profesional training of producers in agriculture, affirmation of environment protection, improving living conditions and rural tourism. The association has about 1600 members.
The Provincial Fund's for Development of Agriculture in Vojvodina main objective is the development of agriculture by co-financing investments in agriculture.
The Agricultural Station Novi Sad is working mainly in the field of extension services to agricultural producers. Capacity building in this institution will lead to dissemination in similar institutions in CS.