Sivas Cumhuriyet University continued to contribute to international academic collaborations by participating in the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) activity titled “SustainLife: Sustainable Agrifood Chains in the Digital Era,” held at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies in Romania.
The program, held between April 20–24, brought together different higher education institutions from across Europe to discuss sustainability, digital transformation, and sustainable agricultural and food chains. It was coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petre Ionuț Laurențiu, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Economics at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, and Prof. Dr. Raluca Lădaru, Director of the Economics Doctoral School II.
In addition to our university, the University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria) and Singidunum University (Serbia) participated in the activity as partner institutions.
Twelve students and two academic staff members from Sivas Cumhuriyet University participated in the program as part of an institutional visit. Also present were Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Süleyman Değirmen and Prof. Dr. Salih Cem İnan, and Assistant Erasmus Institutional Coordinator Lecturer Murat Ercan. Prof. Dr. Özlem Pelin CAN contributed to the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program with a presentation titled “Sustainable Food Supply Chains & Food Safety,” and Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Tuğkan ŞEKER with a presentation titled “Fundamentals of Food Safety in Agrifood Systems.”.
At the opening ceremony held on the first day of the program, the Vice Rector of Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Prof. Dr. Constantin Marius Profiroiu, delivered an opening speech on the role of internationalization in the academic and scientific development of higher education institutions. The opening program also included a speech by the Vice Rector of Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Prof. Dr. Süleyman Değirmen, emphasizing the importance of inter-university academic collaborations.
Following the opening program and academic sessions, a tour of the university campus and university museum was organized for the participants.
On the second day of the program, academic lectures and workshops were held on sustainable agriculture and food systems, digitalization, and environmental sustainability. Later in the day, a technical visit was organized to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture. During the visit, Sivas Cumhuriyet University Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Süleyman Değirmen and Prof. Dr. Salih Cem İnan met with the Romanian Deputy Minister of Agriculture. The meeting focused on agricultural policies, sustainability efforts, and the contributions of higher education institutions in these areas.
On the third day of the program, participants engaged in group work and project development activities, while the day concluded with a cultural visit to the Romanian Parliament Building.
On the final day of the program, a technical and cultural visit was organized to the Village Museum, which reflects Romania's cultural heritage. During the visit, participants had the opportunity to learn about Romania's traditional way of life and rural architecture.
It was stated that the activities carried out within the scope of the program made significant contributions to enabling students and academic staff to gain international experience, increasing the sharing of academic knowledge, and strengthening institutional collaborations between universities.
Sivas Cumhuriyet University Vice Rector and Head of the International Relations Office, Prof. Dr. Süleyman Değirmen, stated in his evaluation of the program that Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme activities are of great importance in terms of internationalization processes in higher education. Prof. Dr. Değirmen noted that in recent years, in addition to long-term classical mobility programs, short-term blended mobility programs have become increasingly popular in European higher education institutions. He emphasized that these programs offer students and academic staff more accessible, intensive, and multifaceted international experience opportunities. Prof. Dr. Değirmen also stated that short-term international programs supported by digital components both strengthen academic collaborations and contribute to more participants gaining international experience, adding that Sivas Cumhuriyet University will continue to actively participate in Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) activities by adapting to the transformation in higher education in Europe.
