The University of Silesia in Katowice has received funding to carry out the project ‘BIOVERTE – Applied Biodiversity Management and Resilient Ecosystem Transitions’. This is the first project coordinated by the University of Silesia under the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programme. It will be carried out in collaboration with the University of Trieste (Italy) and Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas (Lithuania) – partners in the Transform4Europe alliance.
Out of 199 applications submitted, the European Commission selected 37 projects for funding, including BIOVERTE. The project coordinator on behalf of the University of Silesia is Marcin Lipowczan, PhD, Assoc. Prof. from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of SIlesia.
The project involves the creation of a joint Master’s programme (120 ECTS), delivered by the three partner universities. The programme will combine knowledge in the fields of biodiversity conservation, environmental management, economics and science communication. An integral part of the programme will be compulsory mobility between Poland, Lithuania and Italy, field and laboratory work, project-based learning and placements with external partners. Enrolment for the programme will begin in the 2027/2028 academic year.
‘We want to prepare graduates not only to understand issues related to climate change and environmental protection, but also to make decisions, manage the environment and communicate scientific knowledge effectively’, says Marcin Lipowczan.
Each university contributes its core areas of expertise to the programme. The University of Silesia is responsible for issues relating to the management of the post-industrial environment, the University of Trieste for the economic aspects, and Vytautas Magnus University for laying the foundations of knowledge in biology and environmental protection. This has made it possible to create a coherent study programme that draws on the strengths of all three universities.
‘This is the first Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters project coordinated by the University of Silesia. As a result, the university will become more recognisable globally and will be able to attract talented students from various countries’, emphasises the researcher from the University of Silesia.
Photo: Daniil Silantev | Unsplash
Photo: private archive of Marcin Lipowczan, PhD, Assoc. Prof.
Photo: private archive of Marcin Lipowczan, PhD, Assoc. Prof.