Agricultural Engineering University Curricula Harmonization Working Group

INTRODUCTION

The process of international harmonization of the degree study programs in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE) was started by Prof. Giuseppe Pellizzi during CIGR 1989 Conference and was continued by Prof. Pierluigi Febo in the EU, within EurAgEng SIG RD12 - Education and Communication, and also elsewhere, within CIGR WG1 - Agricultural Engineering University Curricula Harmonization.

Then, four thematic networks were effective:

  1. USAEE-TN (University Studies of Agricultural Engineering in Europe - A Thematic Network), comprising 31 institutions from 27 countries, from 2002 to 2006;
  2. Consortium POMSEBES (Policy Oriented Measures in Support of the Evolving Biosystems Engineering Studies in USA - EU), comprising eight EU and four USA institutions, from 2006 to 2008;
  3. ERABEE-TN (Education and Research in Biosystems Engineering in Europe - A Thematic Network), comprising 35 institutions from 27 countries, from 2007 to 2010;
  4. Consortium TABE.NET (Trans-Atlantic Biosystems Engineering Curriculum and Mobility), comprising four EU and two USA institutions, from 2009 to 2013.
Chair: Dr. Antonio Comparetti

Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (S.A.A.F.), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze... read-more

IT Italy

TEL: +39 091 23897057

E-mail: antonio.comparetti@unipa.it

Mission

The mission is to show the state of the art on Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE) degree study programs 20 years after the last overview, presented during AgEng2000 Conference. In fact, the book and CD-ROM “The University Structure and Curricula on Agricultural Engineering” - an overview of 36 countries were presented by Prof. Pierluigi Febo during the AgEng 2000 Conference, held in Warwick (UK).

Objectives

The major objectives achieved by the above thematic networks were to:

  • define and develop core curricula of 1st and 2nd cycles, to be used as benchmarks for degree study
  • programs in Agricultural Engineering in Europe (USAEE-TN);
  • develop a web-based database including the courses or modules of the above degree study programs, in order to facilitate the recognition of the core curricula and, therefore, promote the student mobility in the EU (USAEE-TN);
  • perform studies on accreditation procedures of the above degree programs in the EU (USAEE-TN);
  • perform studies on the transition of curricula from the traditional Agricultural Engineering to the broader Biosystems Engineering (ERABEE-TN);
  • establish the recognition procedures of new European degree study programs in Biosystems Engineering by FEANI and EurAgEng, based on the core curricula developed by USAEE-TN (ERABEE-TN);
  • promote the mobility of researchers and students within the EU, as a consequence of the development of compatible degree study programs in Biosystems Engineering and the enhancement of their attractiveness (ERABEE-TN);
  • define and develop 11 Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering degree study programs, satisfying FEANI (European Federation of National Associations of Engineers) and EurAgEng criteria, in the EU (ERABEE-TN).


Scope

The scope is the state of the art on Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE) degree study programs.

Activities

Some examples of significant changes relevant to ABE degree study programs occurred in the EU after the end of ERABEE-TN project are the curricula established by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of seven countries.

Even if the monitoring of ABE degree study programs in the EU is still in progress, the Universities of some countries (e.g. Czech Republic, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and Portugal) offer BSc. and MSc. curricula in this area, while the HEIs of other countries (e.g. Austria, Denmark, Finland and Italy) offer BSc. and MSc. curricula including subjects related to Agricultural Engineering and Applied Agricultural Engineering as at least 30% of the total ECTS study load.

At present the harmonization process of Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering degree study programs in Europe benefits from the results of the projects of USAEE and ERABEE thematic networks.

Other important contributions towards the harmonization of the European curricula in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering were achieved through the cooperation between EU and US Higher.

Education Area institutions, during the projects of POMSEBES consortium and TABE.NET one.

However, the above process is still in progress and will be also performed through the dissemination activities of ERABEE-TN and future projects, which will be submitted to the EU by the partners of this network.