In the CooPerformance project, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest (UASVM), the University of Almeria in Spain and the Humboldt University of Berlin have been collaborating since November 2019. In the first phase, case studies were made of cooperatives from the European partner countries and were processed explicitly for teaching and research. Based on these case studies, the project has developed open and digital forms of learning and teaching for the higher education of specialists and managers in the agricultural sector of the EU countries.
During 2021, the CooPerformance project mainly focussed on the exchange and dissemination of digital teaching materials, e.g., interactive and participatory lecture units, short films, and cross-national exchange and discussion formats.
In April 2021, all project partners gathered for a digital training course held at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Interested academics from the participating universities as well as practitioners were also invited. The participants got an overview of the agricultural and the cooperative sectors in Germany, Spain and Romania. Furthermore, important concepts and challenges were presented and discussed regarding cooperation, cooperatives and their governance. The case studies from Germany also highlighted the contribution of cooperatives to the provision of public services and as drivers of innovation in rural areas. Finally, the German cooperative model and the model of association support by the German Raiffeisen Federation (DRV) were presented.
In November 2021, another digital training course took place at the USAMV of Bucharest for 45 master and doctoral students. Organised by all project partners, the course introduced theoretical knowledge from cooperative science and presented the specifics of the agricultural and cooperative sectors of the partner countries and regions. Proceeding from findings of good practice in Germany and Spain, policy recommendations were developed for advancing the Romanian cooperative sector.
For further information, visit the project website: https://www.managusamv.ro/cooperformance/index.php