Meeting of the NOVA/BOVA Nordplus network coordinators will take place on October 9-10 in Helsinki at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Helsinki University which is since 2012 is the NOVA/BOVA Nordplus Network coordinator.  Joint NOVA and BOVA forces have been combined since 2008 in Nordplus programme activities whose implementing various number of intensive courses and ensuring wide student's mobility flow. More about network here.

This time Network members will put emphasis on items related to the initiation of joint undergraduate  and postgraduate courses, motivation of teaching staff in organising of joint activities as well will be touched such issues on promotion of teachers mobility within Nordplus and feedback from students used Nordplus mobility.

3 other Nordplus networks coordinated by the University of Helsinki  will be presented  on this meeting and shared best practice.

Master level students are invited to register for BOVA Intensive mater courses which will be held in August, September and October 2012.

BOVA UN offers a range of Intensive courses with duration  of face to face part - 1 week at BOVA member institutions. Thematic of courses are differ and students are welcome to search for interested topics on Courses 2012 where detailed description of courses are given.

Registration is simple: fill in BOVA Mobility  Registration form and send to respective BOVA coordinator before the deadline. Earlier applications have preference.

Courses marked as NORDPLUS have received NORDPLUS financial support and majority of expenses of BOVA and NOVA students are covered. For other BOVA courses students are welcome to apply  for NORDPLUS Express Mobility Grants at your home institutions via BOVA coordinators.

Closest deadline for course on Causes and consequences of pollinator decline is July 1, 2012.

Intensive course on Renewable Energy Technologies  for MSc students was the last course from the range of courses supported by the NORDPLUS programme in 2010/2011 study year within the NOVA/BOVA Nordplus network project which took place in Kaunas at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture from April 11-15, 2011.

The participants from 5 partner institutions took part in this course (LLU, LZUU, EMU, HU-AF, UEF), the interest about this course was big among the students and as the class size is limited unfortunately not all applicants were accepted.

This big interest just prove the importance of course topic and as well the importance of teaching team which in this case consist of leading specialists from 3 Baltic countries and Finland.

Course leader, professor Kestutis Navickas from LZUU using already established contact via different research projects, conferences and other international events formed very strong International teaching team, where each country presenting the topics where they are best of. For example, about Wind Energy lecture will be given by lecturer from EMU, about Solar Energy and Bio fuels by lecturers from LLU, lecturer from HU-AF will teach about Energy Analysis on Bio energy Systems, but majority of topics such as Renewable Energy Resources in general, Environmental Considerations , Hydro power Development etc. will by covered by lecturers from LZUU, the main course initiators organising similar course already for the 3rd time.

Before this intensive week students had the distance learning part which consisted of individual tasks and pre readings and the course will be ended by presentation of group work and tasks for individual work.

More about this course in Courses in 2011.

At the same dates the first meeting of newly established BOVA Student Council took place in Jelgava and BOVA SC members have opportunity to get in contact with all Nordplus coordinators, to learn about NOVA and BOVA  and this event was as an introduction session before their own discussion and development of the working plan for 2011.

LLU – as a member institution of the NOVA/BOVA Nordplus network has announced the registration to the Intensive Master level course for students in the field of forestry. The course is open for students from BOVA and NOVA member institutions.

This course was granted for the first time by Nordplus programme in 2009 and was popular among the students mainly from Baltic. International teachers’ team combined the lectures in very attractive way with field trials and therefore the evaluation of the course was very positive. This time course organisers looking forward to complete Baltic-Nordic students’ team and together discuss the forest tree breeding and adoption items in context with climate change issues. Main aim of the course is to raise awareness among students about methods and practical achievements in forest tree breeding as well to demonstrate potential to improve traits essential for forest adaptation to predicted climate changes.

This year significant changes have been made in the course outline based on creative development and evaluation results both from teachers and students. Course will start in the Lithuanian forest and will continue in Latvian forest combining with theory inside the classes. Good results much depends on the leader of the course. Course leader from LLU Assist.prof., Dr.silv. Aris Jansons for the 4th year will demonstrate again the positive and fascinating attitude in running on the international activities.

Students - foresters are invited to show the interest to participate by sending the registration form to the BOVA coordinator at LLU This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Deadline for registration is February 25, 2011.

More about the course Course Flayer

All questions regarding the course please sent directly to BOVA coordinator at LLU.

NOVA/BOVA Nordplus network was established in 2008 when for the first time was submitted joint application to Nordplus HE program. Before it NOVA Nordplus network had a long experience promoting and performing mobility of students with Nordplus support inside Nordic countries. By enlarging the Nordplus network with Baltic partners, students and teachers now have possibility to be mobile between Nordic- Baltic, Baltic-Nordic, Baltic-Baltic and Nordic -Nordic countries.

2012/2013 study year - project approved by NORDPLUS (5th time for this network) and joint team of Nordplus coordinators from NOVA and BOVA members institutions as well the teaching staff and students by joint forces will implement this project with title:

NOVA/BOVA Nordplus Network:

Project ID: HE-2012_1a-28872

Contract period: from 2012-06-15 (Duration is 15 months)

Total grant in  EUR: 100 000

Mobility total in EUR: 50 000

Project/Network total in EUR: 50 000 EUR

Own contribution to project/network activities: 50 000 EUR

Coordinating institution: Helsinki University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Coordinator of project: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Traditionally all member institutions from NOVA and BOVA take part in the project. Totally there are 14 partner institutions, 10 form NOVA and 4 from BOVA.

Each partner institutions has appointed a Nordplus coordinator responsible for the implementation of the project activities and mobility organisation in the respective institution as well as for information dissemination about all possibility offered by above mentioned project activities among students and teaching staff.

BOVA coordinators takes as well Nordplus coordinator duties and their contacts please find here: BOVA Local coordinators

NOVA and BOVA Nordplus coordinators list  with contact information and deadline for applications to apply for short or long mobility period at any of NOVA or BOVA member institutions.

POJECT ACTIVITIES:

I. Mobility

Nordplus Mobility: a) express mobility for students; b)  1-12 months long mobility for students; c) teachers mobility.

Applicants are asked to contact their local NOVA/BOVA Nordplus coordinators at home university for further information.

Mobility forms used in the network in 2012/2013:

II. Intensive master level courses:

- Causes and consequences of pollinator decline, EMU, Jarvselja, Estonia, 5-11 August, 2012;

- Land Administration In Baltic Countries, LLU, Jelgava, Latvia, 22-26 October, 2012;

- Pomology and Fruit Science, ASU, Kaunas, Lithuania, 8-12 October, 2012;

- Sustainable Pig Production, SLU, Alnarp, Sweden 1st part - October 1-5, 2012; LLU, Jelgava, Latvia 2nd part - November 12-16, 2012;

- Genetic components of forest biodiversity: treats and solutions , ASU, Kaunas, Lithuania, May 7-11, 2013;

-Agrifood Supply Chains in the Baltic Sea Region, EMU, Tartu, Estonia, March 11-15, 2013;

- Small Animal Oncology, LLU, Jelgava, Latvia, August 12-16, 2013.