No.9

Dear Reader,

More than two months have elapsed since the previous issue of NOVA-BOVA news. A lack of activities in NOVA-BOVA certainly was not the cause for this. Quite on the contrary, there have been so many events and developments that BOVA and NOVA secretariats had no chance to depict them timely in the newsletter. We will do our best to brush up our memories for reviewing the NOVA-BOVA spring in news No 9.

NOVA-BOVA CC meeting

NOVA-BOVA Coordination Committee (CC) meeting No 3 took place in March 22, at LLU in Jelgava. Major topics of discussion were overall strategic development, administrative NOVA-BOVA capacities, development of disciplinary networks and model courses and potential inclusion of partners from outside NOVA and BOVA countries. CC approved a report on NOVA-BOVA activities and development strategy.

The meeting launched working groups on:

i) joint MSc programmes,
ii) external fund rising and
iii) short MSc courses.

For more detailed information cf. the CC meeting protocol.

NOVA and BOVA websites in advancement

The NOVA website underwent a major renovation � the whole site has been changed from Swedish to English. Use the chance to look at the renewed site under the address www.nova-university.org.

Meanwhile, the BOVA website has been gaining in popularity, with mean number of daily visitors reaching 12 people. The most recent updates include the detailed description of procedure for Baltic students applying to NOVA PhD courses as well as web pages of short NOVA-BOVA MSc courses.

NOVA PhD courses

Following the NorFA deadline of June 1, six NOVA PhD courses have been available for Baltic students in the 3rd round. NOVA and BOVA secretariats sincerely thank the organisers of NOVA courses for their good will to consider the Baltic students and prepare applications to NorFA. Our gratitude is extended to Stig Milan Thamsborg (KVL, Course 1 in the Table below), Matti Ojala (HU, 2), Bengt Svennerstedt (SLU, 3), Anders Ringgaard Kristensen (KVL, 4), Claes Fellstrom (SLU, 5) and Jonathan Juen (SLU, 6).

Number of applying PhD students from BOVA universities:

MSc courses

As planned, four short intense NOVA-BOVA MSc courses were carried out in March-May 2003. Three MSc courses took place at the Latvia University of Agriculture and one at the Estonian Agricultural University. All students and teachers were very satisfied with course organisation and qualification of teachers. A more detailed picture will be drawn after the BOVA coordinators and course organisers finish their reports, including course evaluation.

The next MSc course �Weed control in ecological farming system� takes place at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture in June 2-6, 2003. The course will be attended by 18 Baltic MSc students.

Summer vacation

Even the NOVA-BOVA people need some time for vacations. Time-out schedule looks as follows:

2002-2003 � BOVA University, NOVA University