SAFER (Sustainable Agri-Futures: Empowering Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Higher Education) is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project that brings together universities from Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Egypt, and Jordan to address challenges related to climate resilience and sustainable agriculture through education, digital learning, and international cooperation.
SAFER strengthens agricultural education and promotes sustainable farming practices that are aligned with the needs of each participating region, while supporting the exchange of knowledge and experience between EU and non-EU partner countries.
Project objectives
SAFER is built around three core objectives:
- Educate students and professionals on sustainable farming practices
- Enhance access to educational resources through digital technologies
- Promote international collaboration to share knowledge and holistic expertise on climate-smart agriculture
Expected outcomes and impact
By the end of the project, SAFER aims to achieve:
- Integration of five innovative digital tools or platforms into the agricultural education system of each partner country
- Training of 500 individuals across all partner nations
- Introduction of 20 practical, sustainable farming practices in each project country
These outcomes support long-term improvements in higher education, skills development, and the adoption of more resilient and sustainable approaches in agriculture.
Work plan and implementation approach
SAFER is implemented through five interrelated Work Packages (WPs):
- WP1 — Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation (Lead: International Hellenic University – IHU)
Coordination, governance, monitoring, quality assurance, and risk management.
- WP2 — Needs Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Capacity Building (Lead: Uzhhorod National University – UzhNU)
Needs assessment and planning activities, including surveys, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building actions.
- WP3 — Curriculum Development and Digital Learning (Lead: Varna University of Management – VUM)
Curriculum development and training activities, including alignment with ECTS principles and creation of a digital learning platform and learning resources.
- WP4 — Community Engagement and Industry Collaboration (Lead: Al-Balqa Applied University – BAU)
Strengthening cooperation between universities, local communities, and industry via workshops, outreach, and hands-on testing of sustainable farming practices.
- WP5 — Dissemination, Inclusivity, and Sustainability (Lead: Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport – AASTMT)
Dissemination strategy, outreach and events, inclusivity-focused actions, and sustainability planning to ensure long-term use of project results.
