The Global Challenges University Alliance (GCUA) meets the global challenges that humanity is facing in the 21st century by acquiring scientific knowledge and translate it into relevant, global action.

Many global challenges require agricultural, forestry and fisheries systems to produce food, animal feed, fibres, energy and materials in a sustainable way. The crucial issue of our time is how to intensify and increase agricultural production in a manner that will not compromise sustainable management of natural resources – water, soils, microbes, plants, animals and ecosystems – and that will contribute to climate change adaptation as well as mitigation.

Translating knowledge into relevant actionThe GCUA serve as a forum and a collaborative network for exchange of ideas, knowledge sharing, identification and formulation of research questions as well as opportunities for concerted efforts aimed at finding solutions to global challenges. We welcome partner universities with a strong profile in agricultural sciences (including food, veterinary medicine, landscape architecture and forestry), environmental science and/or the life sciences.

Locations of participating universities

to date

www.slu.se/gcua

What does it take to become a member of the alliance?

To send researchers and students to GCUA-activities

To arrange one workshop and one summer school during a five year period

Commit to pay the membership fee

SLU, Sweden (coordinator)Carl-Gustaf Thulin: carl-gustaf.thulin@slu.se

BOKU Vienna, AustriaMargarita Calderon-Peter: margarita.calderon-peter@boku.ac.at

Lincoln University, New ZealandJulian Becker: Julian.Becker@lincoln.ac.nz

Michigan State University, USAGretchen Neisler: gneisler@anr.msu.edu

The Hong Kong University, Hong KongJetty Lee: jettylee@hku.hk

Contact us:

www.slu.se/gcua

Building an AllianceWe are building our alliance through thematic Global Challenges University Workshops and by organizing corresponding thematic Global Challenges Summer Schools for MSc/PhD students.

SUMMER SCHOOLS

Each workshop is followed by a thematic summer school aimed to train bioeconomy experts for the future. Participants will build an active global network early in their careers.

WORKSHOPS

In each thematic workshop 30-40 researchers from 4-10 universities participate. Right now we focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a series of workshops planned for 2018.