12th ICA Rectors and Deans Forum 2022
Association’s for European Life Science Universities (ICA’s) Rectors and Deans Forum 2022 “Bending the Curve for Biodiversity: challenges and opportunities for life science universities” & “Life science universities addressing Knowledge Security” will be held on 20 and 21 October 2022 at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Lithuania.
This annual ICA Forum for Rectors, Deans and senior management of agricultural and life science universities in Europe aims to provide these university decision makers from ICA’s member universities with the opportunity to meet, to discuss current issues in the agricultural and life sciences and to exchange views on issues with relevant stakeholders in industry, government and NGOs. This Forum will address two themes: on Thursday “Bending the Curve for Biodiversity” and on Friday morning “Knowledge Security”.
ICA General Assembly will be held on 19 October 2022 at VMU, where the report “EU Biodiversity strategy – forward looking approach, today relevant more than ever“ will be present by Marius Vaščega, head of the European Commission’s Representation in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Programme
WEDNESDAY 19 October
Location: Vytautas Magnus university (VMU) in the centre of Kaunas: S. Daukanto str. 28
16.15 Coffee & Registration
17.00 ICA General Assembly
18.30 EU Biodiversity strategy – forward looking approach, today relevant more than ever.
Marius Vaščega – Head of the European Commission’s Representation in Vilnius, Lithuania (from 2022 February). Earlier 2019 – 2022 he was the Head of the Cabinet of Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries
19.30 Forum Welcome Reception & Walking Dinner following the ICA General Assembly
THURSDAY 20 October
Location: Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Studentų str. 11, Akademija, Kaunas District.
Session 1. Addressing biodiversity loss
8.00 Transfer by bus from hotels to Agriculture Academy of the Vytautas Magnus University
8.30 Registration & welcome coffee
9.00 Welcome to the Forum
Arthur Mol, President of ICA & Representative from Vytautas Magnus University
9.15 Keynote: Biodiversity policy implementation in Lithuania: challenges and achievements
Simonas Gentvilas, Minister of the Environment, Republic of Lithuania
9.45 Keynote: Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy
David Leclère, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Laxenburg; AT
10.15 Keynote: The Economics of Biodiversity
Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge, UK
10.45 Coffee
11.15 Keynote: Biodiversa+, the European biodiversity partnership: history, objectives and main achievements
Claire Bléry, European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+), Paris, FR
11.45 Discussion
12.30 Lunch
Session 2. Nature based solutions in Agricultural and Forestry Systems to support the enhancement of biodiversity
13.30 Keynote: Enhancement of biodiversity in agriculture arable and grassland systems
Helen Sheridan, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, IE
14.00 Keynote: Enhancement of biodiversity in forestry systems
Bart Muys, Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KULeuven, BE
14.30 Panel: Four short interventions from ICA members from different regions of Europe (10 mins each). How my university engages with society through education and outreach to encourage engagement with and enhancement of biodiversity.
15.15 Coffee
15.45 Breakout round table discussions groups
16.15 Plenary Report back
16.45 Closure
19.30 Bus pick from hotels to go to Raudondvaris Castle
20.00 Gala Dinner, Raudondvaris Castle
FRIDAY 21 October
Session 3. Addressing Knowledge Security
8.00 Transfer by bus from hotels to Agriculture Academy of the Vytautas Magnus University
8.30 Introduction: European knowledge security in a polarized world
Arthur Mol, President of ICA & Rector Magnificus Wageningen University and Research, NL
8.50 Knowledge security experiences and practice AgroParisTech
Laurent Buisson, Directeur Général AgroParisTech, Paris, FR
9.05 Knowledge security experiences and practices Estonian University of the Life Sciences
Mait Klaassen, Rector Estonian University of Life Sciences, EE
9.20 Coffee & Breakout round table discussions groups
10.00 Plenary Report back
10.30 Forum Closure
Packed lunch available to pick up
11.00 Depart for Vilnius Airport by bus (the trip to Vilnius airport will take maximum of 2 hours)
OR
11.00 Post Forum Tour “Biodiversity, history and cultural heritage Kaunas Region”
There is no extra charge for this Tour, but must be booked on your registration form or reservation by email after registration to ICASecretariat@icaeurope.org The Tour is offered by Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy,
16.30 Return to Kaunas
“Kaunas is the European Capital of Culture’ 2022” information about the events can be found here: https://kaunas2022.eu/en/about-the-project/.
Registration
Please register online for the ICA Forum here: https://www.ica-europe.info/registration-form.
For ICA members the Registration fee for ICA Members is 500 € for the first registration from a university, the fee for additional registrations from the same university is 450 €.
For non-ICA members the registration fee is 650 € and 600 € respectively. If a registered non-member’s institution becomes a member of ICA in 2023 the membership subscription for 2023 will be reduced by 150 €.
The deadline for registration is Monday 10 October. Registration cannot be cancelled free of charge after 10 October.
The Registration fee includes:
All meals from the start of the Forum with the Reception on the evening of Wednesday 19 October until departure on the Friday.
Registration is managed by the ICA Secretariat. The ICA Secretariat will send you an invoice once the Secretariat has received your online registration form.
