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N:o 1/2006 February The Baltic University Programme Contents The Rectors Conference by Lars Rydén Pirates or Sea Wolves by Christian Andersson Kick-Off meeting for the EHSA project by Christine

March 2007.! If you have any information, or a short article, that could be included in the next issue, please contact us by e-mail: christine.jakobsson@balticuniv.uu.se magnus.lehman@balticuniv.uu.se www.

1 N:o 1/2006 February The Baltic University Programme Contents The Rectors Conference by Lars Rydén Pirates or Sea Wolves by Christian Andersson Kick-Off meeting for the EHSA project by Christine Jakobsson The Baltic Sea exhibition Event calendar Merry Christmas Happy New Year 2007 from the Baltic University Secretariat Next Newsletter The next issue of the BUP Newsletter will be published in March 2007.! If you have any information, or a short article, that could be included in the next issue, please contact us by christine.jakobsson@balticuniv.uu.se magnus.lehman@balticuniv.uu.se Photo: Martin Cejie A year has passed and much has happened in and around the Baltic University. We had the annual Students conference in summer it was the sailing seminar on the Chopin and then in October the important Rectors Conference. The new project on Africa and the Victoria Lake is beeing prepared by our new colleague PhD Genene Mulugeta. In between the Coordination Secretariat at Uppsala University have also moved from the historical surroundings to a more botanical but also more down to earth location at the Department of Earth Sciences at Villavägen 16. Our Secretariat here is mergin with two departments focusing on the environment, globalisation and sustainable development.

Page 2 2007 Events Calendar The Baltic University Programme the Rector s Conference 19-20 October 2006 January BUP Centers Meeting 24-26 January Riga, Latvia February Environmental Science Teachers

Teachers Meeting April Sustainment Workshop April Novgorod, Russia June Climate Change Meeting BALTEX/BUP 4-8 June Saaremaa, Estonia BUP Centres and Mentors Meetng 17-20 June Zamosc, Poland In

(Photo: Marcin Stolarek) The Baltic University Programme Rector s Conference on 19-20 October 2006, was the largest single arrangement ever in the history of the Baltic University Programme.

2 Page Events Calendar The Baltic University Programme the Rector s Conference October 2006 January BUP Centers Meeting January Riga, Latvia February Environmental Science Teachers Conference 7-10 February Borki Molo, Poland March ESD Teachers Conference March BUP Board Meeting 30 March Uppsala, Sweden April Students Conference 5-6 April Rogowo, Poland Education for Change Teachers Meeting April Sustainment Workshop April Novgorod, Russia June Climate Change Meeting BALTEX/BUP 4-8 June Saaremaa, Estonia BUP Centres and Mentors Meetng June Zamosc, Poland In October Rector s from many universities around the Baltic Sea met at a Conference in Uppsala. (Photo: Marcin Stolarek) The Baltic University Programme Rector s Conference on October 2006, was the largest single arrangement ever in the history of the Baltic University Programme. A total of 165 participants were taking part in all or parts of the conference. The parallel sessions produced some 12 concrete proposals for future developments of the Programme. All of these will be carefully examined and developed during the coming period. 36 universities signed an interuniversity agreement with Uppsala University, thereby forming a formal, legal, base for the further work in the programme. Other participating universities declared their interest to sign such an agreement in the near future. It is with great satisfaction and in a spirit of optimism and confidence that I conclude that a very significant step in the development of our cooperation has been taken. I trust it will form a solid platform for future developments. Lars Rydén Programme Director Prorector Kerstin Sahlin-Andersson from Uppsala University signing contracts with one out of 36 Rectors from the Baltic Sea region. (Photo: Marcin Stolarek) After the conference on Friday a 15 years birthday party took place in the new centre for sustainability studies created by Uppsala University. The extraordinary birthday cake, decorated with the Baltic University Logo, was an real treat for all participants. (Photo: Marcin Stolarek) The Baltic University Programme, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE Uppsala, Sweden Tel Fax info@balticuniv.uu.se

Page 3 The Baltic University Programme BUSCOM The Baltic University Student Community If you are a BUP student you may become a member of the Baltic University Student Community which is a new site

3 Page 3 The Baltic University Programme BUSCOM The Baltic University Student Community If you are a BUP student you may become a member of the Baltic University Student Community which is a new site within the Baltic University web-site. By registering you will be added to the Baltic University students database and receive newsletters and other information on the BUP courses. The site also contain chat, forum, blog and a wiki and most of all you will be able to find other students studying the same BUP course as you do in other places. The adress is: student/index.php Pirates or Sea Wolves? Every late summer since 1997 a sailing student seminar is arranged by the Baltic University. For two weeks 40 students and teachers from the region sail the Baltic Sea. Triton, the messenger of Neptune, appeared one night on the ship STS Chopin. He told that Neptune had seen that we were sailing on the Baltic Sea for and had done so more than one week already. Thus he, Neptune, wanted to emerge from the depth of the sea and visit the ship to let us go through the Sea Christening trials to become worthy sailors or perhaps even Sea wolves. The very next day the signal All hands on deck was given and we gathered on the poop deck. Suddenly Neptune together with his wife, a cook and some aids appeared and now the trials begun. They included torture (chocolate mouse in your face), a test (a spoonful of Neptune s soup, which I think should have stayed in the abyss) and finally a challenge (to kiss Neptune s ugly wife). Remarkably all crew members passed the trials and actually became Sea Wolves and not pirates. This must be due to the fact that we were already hardened at sea by taking watches; deck, navigation and kitchen watch, and enduring the horrors of sea sickness. Because soon after we left Gdynia in Poland bound for Simrishamn, Sweden we encountered strong winds, heavy rain and worst of all big waves that made most of us seasick. Still we managed to keep the ship in shape and reached Simrishamn after a couple of days. Guess if it was nice to feel firm ground under ones feet again. The old, small town and fishing port Simrishamn not only offered som relief from the atrocities of the sea but also welcomed us with nice weather, warm people and some time to relax and recover and grow in strength. Soon it was time for the second leg of the journey and we set sails for Turku, Finland. STS Chopin is a Brigg and thus has two masts with square sails that are not very efficient when sailing against the wind. However, due to favourable winds and wind shifts we set sails shortly after our departure from Simrishamn and did not have to strike and furl them until we reached the Finnish archipelago near

Page 4 The Baltic University Urban Forum, BUUF The BUUF project is now completed after a total of three years. The results from the project will be published over the coming months.

The project addressed ten key areas for local sustainability: Urban flows - water, waste and energy; Urban planning - green structures, traffic and transport, and rebuilding/remediation; Urban

4 Page 4 The Baltic University Urban Forum, BUUF The BUUF project is now completed after a total of three years. The results from the project will be published over the coming months. The project have developed sustainability strategies for 20 cities and towns in 9 countries in the Baltic Sea region. The project addressed ten key areas for local sustainability: Urban flows - water, waste and energy; Urban planning - green structures, traffic and transport, and rebuilding/remediation; Urban development - education, socio-economic development and urban-rural cooperation; and finally integration. The partner teams have organised competence development seminars and a total of 22 conferences have been run over the three years. The results of these will be published as ten guidebooks. The urban sustainability strategies used in the cities, the most interesting result of the project, will be published together with the guidebooks. The BUUF project have a follow-up, mostly concerned with implementation, called Sustainment, which is managed by the Union of Baltic Cities, UBC, in Turku. The Sustainment project will deal with sustainability management. Lars Rydén Read more about the BUUF at the website: of Gotland and Öland and we doubled the island of Gotska Sandön before we in gale winds reached the calmer waters of the Archipelago Sea. During our stay on board we had lectures, waves permitting, on sustainable development or the Baltic Sea. We learnt a lot, from what you could find on the bottom of the Baltic Sea like cables and ship wrecks, to unknown properties of water, to singing in a choir, to the marvels of Lodz. to how to distinguish between science and metaphysics and much more. After a short but intensive stop in Turku, that included a vist to and dinner at the Åbo Akademi University, we left Turku early a beautiful morning bound for Poland. Before we reached the open sea we cruised through the magnificent Archipelago Sea but this time in bright daylight. The first day at sea of this leg the winds were unfavourable but eventually changed so that we could man the yards. release the gaskets, and then pull the braces and the sheets and set sail again. This time the course was due south along the coast of the three Baltic states to Hel at the Hel peninsula in Poland. During the the night watches one could see a large number of meteorites, perhaps the last ones of this year s Perseid s meteor shower. Or maybe they were bringers of the message of Neptune s imminent appearance on aboard. Hel also welcomed us with nice weather and an off season feeling although it was still possible to have an ice cream in the pedestrian street. In Hel we also had a hell of a party or actually a farewell and goodbye party. If not before. so this moment showed that the cruise actually had made all of us into one big and good crew although we were people from eight different countries. And that we were able to communicate, live, work, learn and to have fun together. The final surprise of the journey was the arrival in Gdynia. where not only the museum ship Dar Pomorza was found but also a Danish and another Polish tall ship and two sister ships to Chopin: Pogoria and Iskra, suddenly were gathered. So in this highly marine environment we had to say our goodbyes and leave for home. While Chopin herself went on to a dry dock for some maintenance work to be carried out. We not only carried many fond memories of the Baltic Sea and our cruise and new friends but also our new sailors names. Leaky Gasket (at sea) or Christian Andersson (on land) The Baltic University Programme, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE Uppsala, Sweden Tel Fax info@balticuniv.uu.se

Page 5 New University Network in Africa During 2006 the Baltic University Programme started a cooperation with the Inter University Council of East Africa, IUCEA, with Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda.

experiences in the Baltic Sea region. Areas such as water management, land management, urban development, and culture and history of the region are important themes in East Africa.

5 Page 5 New University Network in Africa During 2006 the Baltic University Programme started a cooperation with the Inter University Council of East Africa, IUCEA, with Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda. The intention is to establish a common education for sustainable development between universities in the Lake Victoria region, that is in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, based on the Baltic University experiences in the Baltic Sea region. Areas such as water management, land management, urban development, and culture and history of the region are important themes in East Africa. Project leader is Dr Genene Mulugeta from Uppsala University, geologist with an origin in Ethiopia and with special interest in the Rift Valley geology. The project partners successfully conducted a prefeasibility study during 2006 in which some 20 universities were contacted. A full scale project is now prepared. Financier is Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, through its Lake Victoria Secretariat in Nairobi. Genene Mulugeta, PhD Project Leader East African University Network Ph: genene.mulugeta@balticuniv.uu.se Christmas fair in Tallinn old town. Photo: Magnus Lehman. Kick-Off Meeting for the EHSA project By Christine Jakobsson On November a Kick-Off Meeting was held in Tallinn, Estonia to start the work with the new project on Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture. Approximately 30 experts from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Belarus and USA participated actively and good discussions resulted. These experts will together with also other experts write material that will be the new course package on sustainable agriculture and ecosystem health. The courses will be focused both on undergraduate and masters level as well as on professional competence development. A good overview of the proposed titles and undertitles of the contents as well as proposed authors and editors now exists. Sida s Baltic Sea Unit kindly financed the Kick-Off Meeting. Two books will be published and if financing can be found, also a series of films will be produced. The first book will be titled Ecosystem Health and will be focused at the undergraduate level as well as suitable for competence development of professionals. It will also be a summary of the 2nd book. This book will be used at the masters level and mainly for experts such as agronomists, veterinaries, nature geographers etc. and will consist of 3 modules (coordinator and editor): Rural Development and Land Use (Ingrid Karlsson, BUP, Uppsala University) Sustainable Agriculture (Christine Jakobsson, BUP, Uppsala University) Ecosystem Health Ecology and Health (Leif Norrgren, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)

Page 6 TEACHER OF THE YEAR The prize Teacher of the Year 2006 has been awarded to Agnieszka Trzupek at the Technical University of Lodz, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz, Poland.

Water Management course, the students projects during the Borki conferences, and the didactic components in the student cruises on Mazury Lakes and on the Baltic Sea.

6 Page 6 TEACHER OF THE YEAR The prize Teacher of the Year 2006 has been awarded to Agnieszka Trzupek at the Technical University of Lodz, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz, Poland. Agnieszka Trzupek is awarded the prize for her contributions to many innovative features in the Baltic University Programme courses, including the international video seminars in the Sustainable Water Management course, the students projects during the Borki conferences, and the didactic components in the student cruises on Mazury Lakes and on the Baltic Sea. Agnieszka Trzupek always approaches her students in a constructive spirit of care, enthusiasm and problem solving. The team on Rural Development and Land Use discussing the content of the planned book. Photo: Magnus Lehman. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, this cooperation is in many ways unique, as it represents cooperation between agronomists, veterinaries, nature geographers, biologists, chemists, socio-economists etc. It also represents a new concept on sustainable agriculture and its part in the rural ecosystem. This project will not only be producing educational materials but will also hold a series of seminars based on the educational materials. They will be held in Kaliningrad (4 seminars), St. Petersburg (4 seminars), Estonia, (1 seminar), Latvia (1 seminar), Lithuania (1 seminar) and Poland (1 seminar). These seminars will be held for teachers, students and experts and are a good way of having a quality feedback from the future users of the courses. Also study visits will be arranged in connection with the seminars. In Russia, (St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad) the project is part of the GEF Baltic Sea Regional Project in NW Russia and is financed by Sida. The Baltic University Programme, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE Uppsala, Sweden Tel Fax info@balticuniv.uu.se

Page 7 The BUP Homepage SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NETWORK The prize for Special Contributions to the Network for 2006 is awarded to Prof.

Victor Ionov is awarded the prize for special contributions to the Baltic University Programme for the year 2006, for his long time promotion and development of the Programme in North Western Russia,

Victor Ionov, as Director of the BUP Centre in NW Russia, also initiated and developed a modernisation of the cooperation using Video conferencing and GIS tools.

7 Page 7 The BUP Homepage SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NETWORK The prize for Special Contributions to the Network for 2006 is awarded to Prof. Victor Ionov at St Petersburg State University, Division of International Baltic and Arctic Projects, St Petersburg, Russia. Victor Ionov is awarded the prize for special contributions to the Baltic University Programme for the year 2006, for his long time promotion and development of the Programme in North Western Russia, and for pioneering university cooperation in Kaliningrad, Belarus and Ukraine. Victor Ionov, as Director of the BUP Centre in NW Russia, also initiated and developed a modernisation of the cooperation using Video conferencing and GIS tools. The latest additions to the homepage include a section for students ( and consequently another for teachers ( uu.se/teacher). The aim with these sections is to facilitate communication and cooperation beween the members of the groups. A similar section but for BUP Alumni, i.e. former BUP students, is planned. Education for Change is an EU project run in cooperation between BUP and WWF/Sweden and others that has got a homepage on the BUP site. The project aim is to enhance school teachers knowledge of sustainable development and how to incorporate this knowledge in their teaching. See balticuniv.uu.se/educ/index.htm for more details and the latest developments. During the spring semester the number of unique visitors to the site has increased by about 50% since last year. Among the more popular pages are the Atlas of the Baltic Sea region, the BUP front page and the Course pages. Most of the visitors come from the Baltic Sea region but the site also has a substantial number of visitors from the US, Canada and UK. The Baltic Sea Event was arranged 4-13 August in Simrishamn, which is a small city in Österlen in south of Sweden. The objective of the Baltic Sea event in Simrishamn is to inform the general public about the current situation of the Baltic Sea, and to engage interest to support natural marine resource protection. The creation of an Österlen Marine Biology Center in Simrishamn is one proposal that has been put forth by the organizers, Österlen Trade Society. During the event visitors could listen to seminars with invited scientific expert and see a very interesting exhibition produced by Emil Nilsson and Anders Boulogner from Uppsala university in close co-operation with Lars Rydén from the Baltic University Programme. After Simrishamn the exhibition will start a journey of its own around the Baltic and the first stop will be the Hel Marine Biological Station in Poland, just outside Gdansk.

8 Page 8 Baltic University Rectors Conference Declaration adopted unanimously on October 20, 2006 by the university representatives We, the rectors and their representatives, of the universities participating in the Baltic University Programme, met during the October 2006 in Uppsala, Sweden, and have, referring to the agreement by Nordic and Baltic ministers in Copenhagen to create common Higher Education areas, agreed on the following declaration. The Baltic University Programme has, after 15 years of activity, proved to be a viable and valuable activity in the Baltic Sea region, contributing importantly to its development and higher education. The Programme should have a continued and strong support by the participating universities to the benefit of its teachers, researchers and students. In the field of education we underline the great importance of an international dimension in university studies. The opportunity to get to know neighbouring countries, practice a foreign language, and develop personal contacts offered by the Baltic University Programme should be expanded. Means to do this include the use of communication technologies, for students to visit student groups across borders, and teachers inviting colleagues in the network to teach, either during visits or by communication technologies; we recognise the opportunity the Bologna process offers to establish Joint master programmes and PhD programmes in which several universities take part, and look forward to see these possibilities realised; we strongly support the efforts to organise summer courses and schools with several parallel courses, financed by the participating universities. Universities prepared to take responsibility are recognised and appreciated; In the field of research we recognise the opportunities to develop joint projects in sustainability science and other topics of strong common interest. Such projects, which so far resulted in symposia and other common activities, should be expanded to a common research network, to research courses and common research projects. In the field of applied projects we support increased university-industry cooperation in the region, to improve the quality of engineering education by organising master student diploma work in industries, and that universities use their research capacity to contribute to innovation within the industrial sector. Likewise the opportunities to collaborate with local authorities and other public bodies in the same way should be pursued. Environmental management and resource efficiency should be part of all such efforts. we see the role of our universities, in recognition of its responsibility for life-long education, establish a region-wide international cooperation for competence development within several sectors, such as urban planning, engineering, environmental management, sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, etc. In order to make these developments possible the organisation of the Baltic University Programme should be strengthened by the following measures. The Programme itself will receive a legal frame by signing agreements of cooperation between Uppsala University, as coordinating university, and all other participating universities. Uppsala University will include the Coordinating Secretariat of the Programme within its faculty organisation in a competence and research centre. The universities in the participating countries, either in cooperation or individually, will in ways suitable to the individual country, support the national Baltic University Centres to make them efficient units for the Programme. The individual universities will, in ways that each university find best, support individual projects and organisations, as developed in the Programme. The Baltic University Programme, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE Uppsala, Sweden Tel Fax info@balticuniv.uu.se

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