The Visegrad University Association (VUA) was established to link partner universities in order to provide quality education and scientific environment and to promote development of closer cooperation among the Visegrad group as well as cooperating regions. The VUA provides opportunities for a great interaction between the 45 member institutions in academic and research activities. Universities have got a major role to accelerate the economic development of regions. The knowledge exchange among VUA members can also be an asset for regional development.

1. Extended opportunities
for the Visegrad
University Association
Prof. Istvan Komlosi

2. Why regional development?
• „Regional economic divergence has become a threat to economic progress,
social cohesion and political stability in Europe. Market processes and
policies that are supposed to spread prosperity and opportunity are no
longer sufficiently effective. The evidence points to the existence of several
different economic clubs of regions in Europe, each with different
development challenges and opportunities. Both mainstream and
heterodox theories have gaps in their ability to explain the existence of
these different clubs and the weakness of the convergence processes
among them. Therefore, a different approach is required, one that would
strengthen Europe’s strongest regions but would develop new approaches
to the weaker clubs. There is ample new theory and evidence to support
such an approach, which we have labelled “place-sensitive distributed
development policy” (PSDDP) WP 07/2017

3. The Visegrad University Association (VUA)
„…was established to link partner universities in order to provide quality
education and scientific environment and to promote development of closer
cooperation among the Visegrad group as well as cooperating regions. The
VUA provides opportunities for a great interaction between the 58 member
institutions in academic and research activities. Universities have got a major
role to accelerate the economic development of regions. „

5. The objectives of the association are:
• to promote cooperation among member universities in education and
research, exchange of students and staff
• to exchange information, scientific knowledge and research results by
publishing international scientific journal „Visegrad Journal on Bioeconomy
and Sustainable Development“ and by cooperation in elaborating scientific
studies related to the future development of higher education and
research as well as to all aspects of sustainability
• to provide platform for cooperation in the field of joint and double degree
diplomas
• to promote cooperation among member universities in research and
education for the benefit of economy, society, peace and cultural
development of the countries referred to the Association.

6. University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland
„..The Malopolska region has a specific agrarian structure and regional
profile. It should be reflected in both didactic and research activities pursued
at the University, mainly concerning mountain economy and agritourism,
organic farming and natural environment protection.”

7. Main fields of research
• Multifunctional Rural Development
• Economics of Agri-Food Industry
• Local And Regional Development
• Marketing of Agricultural and Banking Products
• Structural Changes of Polish Agriculture in the Light of Common Agricultural
Policy Reform
• Farming in Disadvantaged Areas
• Industrial Waste Utilization in Agriculture
• Quality Assessment of Agricultural Crops, Feeds and Food
• Protection of the Agricultural Environment and Forest Resources

8. Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra
• Its mission is to provide and ensure education, research and guidance so
that the knowledge necessary for the development of agriculture and
related industries and rural development in Slovakia is created, transferred
into and interconnected with the international community. … provide the
city, the region and the country with a range of services in the form of
activities in public offices, in a number of professional bodies and expert
groups, in numerous projects of national and international importance.

9. The National University of Life and
Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv
„University conducts educational, scientific and research, scientific and
innovative, educational and industrial, and information and consulting
activities aimed at studying the contemporary science issues about life
and environment; at usage, reproduction and balanced development of
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems bio-resources, introduction of new
environmental agro- and biotechnologies, technologies of safety revival
and soil fertility, energy-saving agricultural technologies, environmental
and legal management in rural areas, monitoring and control of
standards compliance, quality and safety of agricultural products,
processed products and environment.”

10. NUBiP of Ukraine directly participates (has participated)
in more than 50 projects and programs, the main of
which are:
- ENAGRA - "Environmental curricula at agricultural universities" 159188-TEMPUS-
1-2009-1-PL-TEMPUS-JPCR
- Strategic Visegrad project "Sustainability in Agrisector of V4 Countries and
Cooperating regions";
- Project supported by the EU FP7 "BIOCIRCLE" – formation of the cooperation
circle of BIONCP network expansion through national contact points of the third
countries
- Project supported by the EU FP7 "Biomass energy for Europe"
- Project "System of differentiated forest management in forest ecosystems in the
Ukrainian Carpathians, Czech Republic – Ukraine"
- Innovative research project "Decreasing risks of catastrophic fires in the exclusion
zone"
NUBiP of Ukraine also cooperates with representations of such foreign companies
as John Deere (USA), Valtra Valmet (Finland), "M & R Farma" (Switzerland), AGCO
(Denmark), "Alfa Laval Agri in Ukraine" (Sweden) and others.

11. Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary
„…our mission, in close cooperation with our partners, is to serve Hungary’s
economic and social progress, as well as contribute to the renewal and
development of the countryside and the field of agriculture with outstanding
education, research and development, counselling, and innovation
activities.”

12. University of Debrecen, Hungary
„…as a research university and as a key actor for economic development,
facilitates the collaboration between the industry, the busisness sphere, the
regional and central administration in regional, national and international
level by means of education, research and development.”

13. ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT AND
INNOVATION OPERATIVE PROGRAMS
Project title Industrial partners
Research on bioactive compounds for red pepper and tomato Univer Product Zrt
Integrated food chain based on cereal and protein plants for high quality pork Bonafarm
Complex advisory service on precision agriculture independent from farm size KITE Zrt, Balog Farm
Innovative cereal based food product development KALL Ingredients

14. VUA role extended
• To transfer knowledge gained on regional development from
industrial cooperations amongst partner universities

15. Thank you for your attention!