Place:

Cluj, Moldovenesti, Romania

Time:

16 October – 25 October 2019

Project Number:

2019-1-RO01-KA105-062720

ACT4SCP Project – “CIRCULAR ECONOMY Summer School” (ACT4SCP 2019) on Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Context of Circular Economy in Line with Sustainable Development Goals invites undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postgraduates researchers from around the world to study contemporary concepts of the sustainable consumption and production, to promote circular economy in this field and to discover some good and bad practices, challenges and opportunities from the field.

The course aims to bring to light the importance of circular economy and ecology in relation to a healthy planet and support an Eco-responsible entrepreneurship education with focus on sustainable consumption and production practices and re-design.

ACT4SCP 2019 provides an intensive and exciting educational program that includes lectures by the importance of circular economy and will present new methods for developing sustainable consumption and production, accompanied by interactive seminars and workshops at which the School’s participants acquire experience in exploring and working on these topics.

Students and PhD candidates successfully participating in ACT4SCP 2019 earn a Youthpass certificate which is a tool to document and recognise learning outcomes from youth work and solidarity activities. Youthpass puts the learning that occurs through youth projects into focus and emphasises the importance of reflecting on the learning outcomes. Youthpass aims to support the employability of young people and youth workers by highlighting the acquired key competences through a certificate. Also, the participant will keep a certificate from our organization, Institute of Research in Circular Economy and Medium (IRCEM).

ACT4SCP 2019 it will be the first edition of Summer School on sustainable consumption and production in the context of circular economy in line with sustainable development goals held at Cluj-Napoca. The first summer school will be attended by 40 students from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece,  Turkey, Poland, Italy and Romania.

ACT4SCP 2019’s language is English.

All Organizers,  Partners & Collaborators

                            Organizing Committee

Dr. eng. ec. Elena Simina Lakatos – President of IRCEM, Romania.

PhD student eng., ec. Ligia Maria Nan – Manager of Entrepreneurial and Circular Economy Department, IRCEM, Romania.

Ms. Matthew Greenley – Manager of International Cooperation Department, IRCEM, Romania.

Jazmin-Boglarka Barth – Project Manager, IRCEM, Romania.

As the 21^st century begins, humankind faces a challenge in to find a wiser way to utilize Earth’s resources to maintain economic growth, in developing countries as well as in the industrialized world, while avoiding over-exploitation of ecosystem services and other natural resources. At a global level, the world economy works still in a linear way, and we are living in a world where people should understand why is important to exercise and promote a sustainable way of consumption and production. The linear “Take – Make – Dispose” system which depletes natural resources and generates waste is deeply flawed and can be productively replaced by a restorative, circular, model in which waste does not exist as such but is only food for the next cycle. Besides that, there are some clear business opportunities arising from the circular economy.

Moreover, sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty.

Since sustainable consumption and production aims at “doing more and better with less,” net welfare gains from economic activities can increase by reducing resource use, degradation and pollution along the whole life cycle, while increasing quality of life. There also needs to be significant focus on operating on supply chain, involving everyone from producer to final consumer. This includes educating consumers on sustainable consumption and lifestyles, providing them with adequate information through standards and labels and engaging in sustainable public procurement, among others.

Particular themes on which the School will focus include:

• Education and entrepreneurial actions of circular economy.
• Information of the importance of sustainable consumption and production for policymakers and the concerned public.
• Education in the field of sustainable consumption on the circular economy, introducing new methods for developing sustainable consumption.
• Entrepreneurship in the field of circular economy.

The confirmed speakers are:

• Dr. Eng. Catalin POPA – Professor at Technical University of Cluj Napoca (UTCN), Department of Science and Material Engineering.
• Dr. Stefano AMBROSINI – Professor of commercial law at the Department of Jurisprudence and Political, Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro, Alessandria- Novara – Vercelli, Italy.
• Dr. Eng. Nicolae BALC – Professor at Technical University, Department of Manufacturing Engineering.
• Dr. Oana-Cristina MODOI – Associate professor at Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Waste Management.
• Dr. Eng. Ec. Elena-Simina LAKATOS – President at the Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan” (IRCEM).
• Dr. Lucian CUIBUS – University Assistant, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Department of Food Science, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca (USAMV CN).
• Elena RASTEI – Director, Leader of the Certification and Circular Economy Task Groups.
• Zoltan PASZTAI – General Manager at Eco Bihor.
• Alina BILAN – Administrative Law and Public Procurement Expert, ONV LAW partner, President of ARDLD, Romanian Association for Local Development.
• Enzo FAVOINO – Chair of the Scientific Committee, technical expert and researcher in the Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza, expert in EU waste legislation and a valuable resource in European policy-making, founders of the European Compost Network and coordinator of the Scientific Committee of the Zero Waste Research Center in Italy.
• Irina BRENIUC – Communication specialist, journalist and environmental activist, Research Analyst – Sustainable Investments Company Name London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).
• Camelia GUI – Founder at Cluj Food Bank, Food Waste Combat & Clujul Sustenabil at NGOs.
• Cezar BULACU – R&D Manager at SC MINET SA.
• Felicia TUSA – President at PRO MIHAI VITEAZU Association.
• Matthew GREENLEY – Circular Economy Consultant, Director of the International Cooperation Department IRCEM.

Time table_IRCEM

Who can apply:

SC is open for bachelor, MA and PhD students. The main target group are persons who have studies in domain of economy or environment protection, also people who are interested in circular economy and they have at least a minimum level of knowledge in this domain.

The participants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, and they should be at the upper-intermediate level in English at least in order to comfortably follow the lectures and participate in the class discussion.

Registration period:

• Extended final date: 05 October 2019

All applicants who have sent the Application forms before 05 October 2019 will receive an acceptance (non-acceptance) notification by 10 October 2019.

For registration please complete the following link: http://tiny.cc/xb7p9y and a letter of motivation if you want to apply for the scholarship at the email address office@ircem.ro.

If you have not registered in time, but want to participate in ACT4SCP 2019, please contact the Organizing Committee office@ircem.ro.

Registration fees

Your registration fee is to be paid via a bank transfer (the details will be given in the invitation letter) by 05 October 2019.
In case you pay your registration fee before 25 September 2019, the Organizing Committee will offer you a discount of 10%. Please notify us by email if you make an early-bird payment.

The registration fee covers

• Tuition
• Accommodation in the Moldovenesti, Guest house “Poarta Paradisului”
• Visa support (does not include consulate charges)
• Breakfasts, lunchs, and dinners
• Social program

Scholarship:

Successful Finnish applicants can apply for mobility funding from the IRCEM to cover their expenses associated with the participation in ACT4SCP 2019. To receive more information, please contact Jazmin Barth, project manager at IRCEM.

ACT4SCP 2019 offers a limited number of scholarships. Applicants may apply for a scholarship which will cover the registration fee.

If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please send the Organizing Committee (office@ircem.ro) by the end of the registration period:

• your CV;
• a motivation letter in which you explain why you would like to attend the School, why you need a scholarship, how the School will help you to develop your scientific career and how you will contribute to the School’s activities;
• recommendation letter from your supervisor or another senior colleague;
• registration please complete the following link: http://tiny.cc/xb7p9y.

The Program Committee will award the available scholarships to students whose research interests best fit the School’s educational program the most and who do not have other possibilities to fund their participation.

Visa:

All non-Romanian students should thoroughly examine the regulations for visiting the Romanian Country. These regulations and procedures for obtaining a visa are available online at the Websites of the Romanian embassies/consulates for your country of citizenship or residence.

The ACT4SCP 2019 organizers will send to each student their letter of acceptance and an official invitation to participate in ACT4SCP 2019.

Important! Please use the official invitation to ACT4SCP 2019 when applying for the visa. Please apply for the visa as early as possible. Processing your application may take several weeks. The ACT4SCP 2019 organizers are not in the position to provide assistance in the visa process. ACT4SCP 2019 will not refund your registration fee if your visa application is denied.

Venue:

Moldovenești, Cluj District, Romania. Some workshops and activities will take place in Moldovenesti, but also we will have a lot of study visits in Cluj county and other counties.

Accommodation:

Accommodation will take place in Moldovenesti in a guest house. You can check it on the following site: https://www.booking.com/hotel/ro/poarta-paradisului.ro.html.

Social program:

Welcoming party: in the evening of the Schools’ first day, all the participant and the lectors are invited to join a to a “Break the ice” party.

Excursion to Cluj Napoca: Will be organized excursions to Cluj Napoca’s botanical garden, to historical centers and museums.

Interactive nights: Movie nights, traditional Romanian night, Cluj by night, intercultural evenings.

Contact us:

If you have questions, feel free to contact us: office@ircem.ro , jazmin.barth@ircem.ro, ligia.nan@ircem.ro