In times of environmental challenges and limits of ‘traditional’ energy resources all over the world the project BBChina – Master Programme on Bio-Based Circular Economy: From Fields to Bioenergy, Biofuel and Bioproducts in China has one approach to take up the challenge.
BBChina aims at establishing an International Master Course on Bio-based Economy (Biomass to Energy and Bioproducts) Curricula in Chinese HEIs, in which 45 Chinese students will be enrolled. In the Bio-based circular economy, crops and biomass are used for e.g. nutrition, chemicals, energy and fuels. The implementation of the Master will be supported by innovative teaching and e-learning tools. Through the project, the interaction and networking between HEIs, industry, and institutions in China will be strengthened. Furthermore, internationalisation and entrepreneurship actions in Chinese HEIs will be promoted. The Master will start in September 2019, and will provide students with project skills and tools to face an almost brand new market in their country.
At their kick-off meeting in Florence, Italy (1st and 2nd February 2018), the BBChina partners had the chance to get to know each other, and discuss about the project. After being welcomed by Prof. Marco Bindi, Pro-rector for National and International Scientific Research of the University of Florence, and Mr. Yan Jinlin, Vice Consul in Florence, the partners presented themselves. Moreover, they explained the importance of the project for their university and talked about conceptions of structure of the new Master programme.
The project partners also had the chance to discuss further steps for the project to be taken and to visit the RE-CORD-UNIFI (Renewable Energy Consortium for Research and Demonstration) lab and facilities of the University of Florence. RE-CORD provides system expertise and resources (laboratories and plants) to create a critical mass and to develop research in a scientific and technological level.
Within the BBChina project, CESIE will develop an e-learning platform, which will support the development, adaption, and delivery of the Master course, and will be made available to all partner countries universities. In addition, CESIE will develop different activities aimed at empowering entrepreneurship attitude in the Master students. This involves the development of learning materials as well as a 3-days face-to-face train-the-trainer activity with one representative of each Chinese HEI of this project.
The BBChina project is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, Capacity Building in the field of higher education.
The BBChina project partners come from different universities in China (Tongji University, East China
- University of Florence(Italy);
- University of Rostock(Germany);
- Mälardalen University(Sweden);
- Tongji University(China);
- East China University of Science and Technology(China);
- SiChuan University(China);
- CESIE (Italy).
For further information on the project get in touch with Jelena Mazaj: jelena.mazaj@cesie.org.
