Increasing demographic pressure, societal evolutions and climate changes raise a tremendous challenge for the next generation of executives in Applied Plant Sciences: producing more with less. Because this task is complex, there is a need to organise the professional and academic fields within a collaborative network gathering expertise and views from different countries. Developing such a network is the ambition of the ESCAPAdE Erasmus+ project. Bringing together seven Universities from the European Community and a group of 22 associated partners, we aim at facilitating the mobility of students in Applied Plant Sciences, thereby enhancing the connectivity between actual and future actors, leaders, teachers and researchers of the field. For this purpose, five work-packages will be implemented: i) mapping the European diversity in Applied Plant Sciences educational programmes and construction of a web portal dedicated to the facilitation of student thematic mobility; ii) Identification of professional needs in this domain and subsequent adaptation of curricula; iii) construction of renewed pedagogical content, through the construction of a pedagogic platform and the joint organization of summer schools; iv) dissemination of the project, with an extension of the network towards newly interested partners, including extra-European countries; v) transversal tasks including careful management and real-time assessment of the project achievement and deliverables, as well as getting prepared for quality label accreditation of curricula in Applied Plant Sciences including mobility. Main results will be O1) a matrix of curricula described with an ontology approach; O2) an innovant web-tool improving students guidance in the field, including those with fewer opportunities; O3) a white paper on stakeholders needs; O4) new pedagogical resources produced with stakeholders and two innovative summer schools; O5) a publication on our pedagogical experience and O6) a documentation for quality label accreditation. Implementing this ESCAPAdE Erasmus+ project will allow us to consolidate the European dimension of our Universities and develop skills and curricula relevant to the labour market and societal needs, thus providing our students with the best opportunities of training in the knowledge-based bio-economy of plants. Longer term benefits will be to increase the visibility and attractivity of Applied Plant Sciences curricula and trainings, and employability of our students in the sector.
Global changes affect agriculture and raise a tremendous challenge for the next generation of executives in Applied Plant Sciences: producing more with less. Because this task is complex, there is a need to organize the professional and academic fields within a collaborative network, gathering expertise and views from different countries. Developing such a network is the ambition of the ESCAPAdE Erasmus+ project. Bringing together seven Universities from the European Community and a group of 23 associated partners, we aim at facilitating the mobility of students in Applied Plant Sciences, thereby enhancing the connectivity between actual and future actors, leaders, teachers and researchers of the field. For this purpose, five work-packages have been implemented: i) map and diffusion of the diversity in Applied Plant Sciences educational programmes within our network; ii) Identification of professional needs in this domain; iii) construction of renewed pedagogical methods; iv) dissemination planning of the project; v) transversal tasks. Main results of this project are O1) a matrix of curricula in Applied Plant Sciences within our network, described with an ontology approach; O2) an innovative web-tool improving Erasmus students’ guidance for mobility ( https://escapade.boku.ac.at/), based on keyword search; O3) a white paper and webinar, dedicated to professional needs for future employees with Applied Plant Science profile; O4) new pedagogical resources produced with stakeholders and; O5) improved pedagogical experience mobilized during a summer school on “Host Plant Resistance Breeding” and O6) a documentation for quality label accreditation within an exploitation strategy. Implementing this ESCAPAdE Erasmus+ project allowed us to know each other, consolidate the European dimension of our Universities and develop skills and teaching activities relevant to professional and societal needs, thus providing our students with the best opportunities of training in the knowledge-based bio-economy of plants. Longer term benefits will be to increase the visibility and attractiveness of Applied Plant Sciences curricula and Erasmus trainings, and employability of our students in the sector.