Consortium meeting and final conference held at UNSA Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences within the Erasmus+ project BUGI

A consortium meeting was held on 6 October in the premises of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, within the Eramus+ project Western Balkans Urban Agriculture Initiative - BUGI, and the final conference was held on 7 and 8 October.

The project partners are: University of Sarajevo, project coordinator, Džemal Bijedić University of Mostar, University of Prishtina, Haxi Zeka University in Peja, University of Donja Gorica, University of Bologna, University of Ljubljana and University of Applied Sciences “South Westphalia “.

At the consortium meeting, the project partners presented the achieved results of the project and the realized activities within the work packages, and some of the main goals of the project were:

• creating the BUGI project website, https://www.bugi.unsa.ba/
• creating a green entrepreneurship portal, https://greenentrepreneurship.bugi.unsa.ba/
• creating an android application green entrepreneurship,
• creation of the master study program Urban Agriculture, https://ppf.unsa.ba/uploads/Studenti/URBANA%20POLJOPRIVREDA%20II%20ciklus%20INFO%20KATALOG.pdf
• creating a lifelong learning course Urban Agriculture, https://serda.ba/bs/novosti/erasmus-western-balkan-urban-agriculture-initiative-bugi-lll-program/3702
• procurement and installation of greenhouses, computer equipment and sensors for partners from program countries.

In addition to the review of the results achieved in the project, the partners agreed on the dynamics of further activities related to the preparation of the final report, which must be submitted to the Executive Agency for European Education and Culture (EACEA).

On the conference first day, presentations were held in the field of urban agriculture, at which Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Nikolić and Doz. Dr. Alen Mujčinović (University of Sarajevo) spoke about “Challenges and opportunities for urban agricultural development of countries in transition”, Doz. Dr. Bernd Pölling from the University of Applied Sciences "South Westphalia" spoke about "Urban Agriculture in the Western Balkans: Consumer Preferences", while Dr. Giuseppina Pennisi from the University of Bologna spoke on the topic "Promoting education and training in urban agriculture on international projects at the Research Center on Urban Environment for Agriculture and Biodiversity". Dr. Rozalija Cvejić (University of Ljubljana) spoke on the topic "Local nutrients in urban agriculture: the use of invasive Japanese yarrow as an organic fertilizer in urban vegetable production." After the presentations, the students of the University of Sarajevo, the University of Prishtina and the University "Haxi Zeka" in Peja shared their experiences in urban agriculture.

The second day of the conference was opened by Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj, University of Sarajevo Rector, who congratulated the participants in the project on the achieved results. He emphasized that the University of Sarajevo is always open for cooperation with universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, as well as with universities in Europe and around the world, and that it is always ready to provide full support to development and research projects. Rector Škrijelj expressed his gratitude to Mr. Muhibić and his associates in the Erasmus+ Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the support they have given and are giving in the implementation of this project, but also other projects that are being implemented at the University of Sarajevo.

The audience was addressed by Prof. Dr. Muhamed Brka, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Dean, University of Sarajevo and Mr. Suad Muhibić, Director of the Erasmus + Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the continuation of the conference, and according to the planned program, presentations were held, and Prof. Dr. Enisa Omanović-Mikličanin presented the project activities that are currently being implemented at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food, University of Sarajevo. Mr. Adnan Rahimić from the Department for International Cooperation of the University of Sarajevo presented a brief history of implemented projects within various programs in which the University of Sarajevo participated, as well as existing programs in which it is involved, and also presented how interested parties can get involved. various international cooperation programs. Prof. Dr. Alisa Hadžiabulić from the Faculty of Agriculture, “Džemal Bijedić” University of Mostar presented the results of the Erasmus + project LANDS (https://www.landsproject.net/), and Prof. Dr. Sabahudin Bajramović presented the Erasmus + project STEPS (http://steps-project.eu/). Mr. Vedad Vejzović, head of the NGO "ProReha" (https://www.proreha.ba/) presented the association and the activities they implement in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities through urban agriculture.

After the presentation the premises of the NGO "ProReha", were visited and participants got acquainted with the organization and work of this association.