The ECAMPUZ project
builds on the results of past activities carried out within the framework of ERASMUS+ Mobility Grant cooperation in 2016-2019 between P1, P2 and P4, internships of P1 staff members in P2 through the support of the “El-yurt Umidi” Foundation, by identifying innovative approaches to solve urgent problems of the food sector in UZB using the best practices of the EU University.
In March 2016, members of P2 visited P1 and P8 and held a series of seminars, lectures and master courses for a broad scientific audience in UZB which resulted in the initiation of collaborations. These meetings resulted in a bilateral agreement between P2 and P1 and P4. In Nov 2016 P2 received an Erasmus+ Credit Mobility Grant (80 days visit both ways) for two years to fund travel of scientists between the EU and UZB to establish sustainable collaborations. In 2017 five bilateral visits took place, UZB partners acquired knowledge about the educational system in P2, participated in lectures and courses.
In Feb 2017 P2 visited P1 and P4 in Tashkent and gathered around 80 people for one week teaching in Food Quality Control and Food Analysis where members of 5 food companies (associate partners) in UZB also participated. This revealed problems related to weak linkages between universities and food industry. EU partners have provided ideas for strengthening cooperation of education, research and the food industry by youth camps and train-the-trainer scheme where young food experts are taught how to solve food industry problems. During the same visit P2 revised the reforms of existing food science and technology education in P1. During the tours around food companies in Tashkent and round table discussions P2 identified urgent and challenging issues in food industries in UZB.
During this visit P1 and P2 discussed as lack of training among teachers and outdated educational system and established a roadmap to improve this situation at P1. Later two P1 teachers visited P2. In Sep 2017 P2 visited Aral Sea region, and where P7 asked P2 to help with the regional problem of water scarcity in the food industry. During the same visit P2 met local authorities and learnt about the major needs of three target groups described in this project. In addition, there were six visits from P1, P4 to P2 during 2017-2019.
Based on above mentioned collaborations and initiatives, this project consortium was formed and the ECAMPUZ project proposal was prepared. UZB partners conducted a comprehensive needs analysis and identified main target groups and their needs in UZB, aligned objectives and activities of project with national priorities and internationalization strategies of partner universities.
In Nov 2018, P2 received the second Credit Mobility Grant (120 days of visit both ways). Currently there has been three visits from P1 and P4 to P2 where UZB food analytical chemists have learned GC-MS based analysis of edible oils. In addition, members of P1 are working on two separate studies in collaboration with P2 and P4 that will soon result in two joint publications.
Results all these fruitful collaborations and outputs were published in the local newspaper of P2 (www.international.ku.dk/newsletter/2018/going-beyond-europe).
