No.7

Merry Christmas and successful 2003

Dear Reader, 2002 was a year of renewal for NOVA-BOVA. Born in June, NOVA-BOVA news has witness-sed a great number of emerging collaboration activities featuring our organisational growth and, on the other hand, requiring increased work inputs and personal dedication. Let the upcoming celebrations fuel us with a new power to tackle all challenges in our professional and personal lives. NOVA and BOVA secretariats wish you superb steadiness, good mood, and the best success in 2003!

New Rector of the Estonian Agricultural University

On December 18, 2003, professor Alar Karis won rector elections at the Estonian Agricultural University (EAU). Professor Alar Karis was born in 1958, in Tartu. He graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at EAU in 1981 and defended his Candidate degree at the Minsk Institute of Experimental Veterinary Science in 1987. His career of researcher started at the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science (1981-1987), and then continued at the Estonian Biocentre of the Academy of Sciences (1987-1992). In 1992, Alar Karis stayed at the International Medical Institute in London. In 1993-1998 he worked as a researcher and project leader at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and, simultaneously, continued his career at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Technological Centre of the Tartu University. In 1999, Alar Karis was elected professor of zoology at the Tartu University.

Alar Karis is married. He has two sons and a daughter.

BOVA matters at LZUU

At a meeting in December 16, the Rector Council of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture discussed the potentials of the BOVA cooperation. The LZUU BOVA coordinator Minvydas Liegus presented the experiences and benefits of NOVA-BOVA collaboration and indicated the need for an internal financial support in order to further develop BOVA activities. The Rector Council principally agreed on the necessity to allocate a special budget line for BOVA activities and recommended to consider this question at a meeting of LZUU Senate that has the major decision power in budgetary matters.

NorFa supports the Baltic PhD students

As announced in NOVA-BOVA news No 6, following the deadline of December 1, organisers of three NOVA PhD courses applied to NorFa to support the Baltic PhD students. 

In December 18, NorFa approved NOK 66,500 to course in crop production science and NOK 55,000 to course in radioecology, to cover costs for 7 and 3 Baltic participants, respectively. NOVA and BOVA secretariats extend sincere thanks to NorFa. Without its support, the Baltic participation in the courses would not have been possible. 

Decision on support to the course in plant breeding will be made in mid January, 2003.

Meetings at BOVA Universities

Riitta Kaitaj�rvi and Caroline Haga, representatives of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Helsinki, visited BOVA universities in December 15-19. During meetings with BOVA coordinators and secretariat, the following topics were discussed:

• Extension of collaboration between BOVA and the faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Helsinki University;

• Opportunities of cooperation within the Erasmus program;

• NOVA-BOVA networks.

New round of NOVA PhD courses

Baltic PhD students again have a possibility to apply to NOVA PhD courses. Course organisers have kindly agreed to consider Baltic applicants to the following 5 courses:

• Farm animal nutrition and feed technology;

• Microbial communities and population (in forest microbiology);

• Ethics and application of gene technology in agriculture/plant breeding;

• Utilization of panel data in agriculture;

• Statistical genomics.

More information can be found on the NOVA website, hyperlink:
http://www.nova-university.org/putb4_f03.htm.

PhD students should submit their applications to course organisers before February 1, 2003. For application forms and other information, contact BOVA coordinators.
At EAU: Kylli Korgesaar, [email protected]; LLU: Ruta Zaleckyte, [email protected]; LZUU: Minvydas Liegus, [email protected]; LVA: Ruta Skinkyte, [email protected].

Developing NOVA-BOVA networks

Following the decision of NOVA-BOVA Coordination Committee, BOVA universities have identified six persons who will lead NOVA-BOVA networks on the BOVA side:

• Agroecology, Vida Rutkoviene, LZUU;

• Agricultural engineering, Alvidas Sarlauskas, LZUU;

• Animal science, Katri Ling, EAU;

• Economics & agribusiness, Baiba Rivza, LLU;

• Food safety, Katrin Laikoja, EAU;

• Sustainable forest management, Henn Tuherm, LLU;

 In January and February, network leaders will conduct extensive e-mail communication to consolidate contact persons at each BOVA university and prepare network meetings.

Food Safety network has already scheduled the first meeting in March 13-14 at EAU in Tartu.

2002-2003 � BOVA University, NOVA University