Enhancing the attractiveness of Italian study programs in Biosystems Engineering

Abstract

Tools for enhancing the international attractiveness of Italian ABE study programs are the bilateral agreements among many Italian Universities and other Erasmus ones. The information about ABE or relevant study programs are distributed to various stakeholders in Italy, e.g. students and related families, potential employers, and is also available by means of the web-sites of Italian Universities. During the last two years significant changes relevant to ABE study programs occurred in Italy, as a consequence of the new regulations established by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. The outcomes of these changes are the ABE study programs running in the academic year 2009/10. An example of best practice in learning, teaching and assessment, aimed at achieving competences relevant to ABE and promoting the international image of the related study programs, is the TABE.NET project. Tools for promoting the multi-linguism in ABE study programs in Italy are: dissemination materials of some courses, courses of joint degree study programs between Universities of different countries, admission examinations and PhD thesis in languages different from the native one. Topics of rare and/or disappearing knowledge that can be used as a tool for enhancing the attractiveness of ABE study programs are: historical farm buildings, agritourism, agricultural museums, old food processing equipment and buildings, agricultural tools for developing countries, old rural land infrastructures.