ICA is supporting two conferences in 2012 and the ICA Rectors and Deans Forum.  The details of each event are outlined below. .  In particular I draw attention to the Conference Educating the Net generation in the Life Sciences - see the conference focus and keynote speakers – submit an abstract for a contributed paper by 30 April.

The ICA Secretariat is now based at the Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague (CULS) and it is a pleasure to welcome Jaromír Němec, who is Head of the Intrenational Relations Offcie in CULS, as the ICA Administrator.  My sincere thanks to Marie Deubruque for her past work for ICA.

I should also like to highlight a new service to members.  ICA will be pleased to advertise on the Website new job opportunities in ICA member institutions.  For the moment these positions will be posted on the Website but in the future we aim to push this information to our members.  If you wish to have a position advertised please send an email with the details to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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ICA Week of Conferences 2012, 18 to 22 June, Bozen-Bolzano Italy

The ICA Week of Conferences will include the ICA Network for Higher Education in the Life Sciences Conference (ICA-Edu), the IROICA Annual Conference, the Board meetings of ICA and the ICA Standing Committees AGRIMBA and AGRINATURA, and the General Assemblies of ICA, AGRINATURA and IROICA.

The ICA General Assembly 2012 will be held on Wednesday 20 June at 16.30, at the Free University Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.  The ICA General Assembly Agenda and a call for nominations for election to the ICA Board will be sent to members on 4 May. The General Assembly will be followed by the Reception for the ICA Week of Conferences.

There will also be a meeting of the ICA Council preceding the ICA General Assembly.  The ICA council brings together representatives of the ICA Standing Committees and the ICA Board to discuss opportunities for collaborative activities.

ICA-Edu Conference: Educating the Net Generation in the Life Sciences, 21 and 22 June 2012, Bozen-Bolzano Italy

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is playing an ever greater role in the lives of university students, academic staff and administrators.  Our students from their earliest years interact with electronic games and by the time they apply for university are internet and IT aware, and social networking is an integral part of their lives.

This ICA-Edu Conference will examine how life science universities are adapting to these expectations and how they are developing innovative approaches in the use of ICT to deliver their degree programmes and courses.

Academic staff, course and degree programme coordinators, vice-rectors and vice-deans for education, learning and technology support staff are invited to participate

See call for contributed papers by 30 April

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CFAVM-APLU-ICA Conference: Growing the Bioeconomy – Social, Environmental and Economic Implications, 2 to 5 October 2012, Banff, Alberta, Canada

With an ever expanding Bioeconomy, decision-makers need up-to-date knowledge to develop strategies to manage this growth. Environmental scientists, policy experts and scientific leaders are invited to work together in a meeting of minds to understand the implications of the growing Bioeconomy from social, environmental and economic/policy perspectives.

ICA with our North American partner associations, APLU and CFAVM,  invite you to attend and contribute to a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities relating to Growing the Bioeconomy from social, environmental and economic/policy perspectives.

See call for Contributed Papers for sessions addressing the social, environmental and economic/policy perspectives and for Graduate Student Contribution by15 May 2012 – visit the conference website.

The University of Alberta, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences hosts the conference and is the local organiser.

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ICA Rectors and Deans Froum 2012:

The aim of this annual event is to provide the opportunity for university decision makers from ICA’s member universities to meet and discuss with our stakeholders in industry, government and NGOs the strategic choices for agricultural and life science universities.  The Forum 2012 will address Educating for the Knowledge Society in the Life Sciences: stakeholder reflections and will be held on 30 and 31 October 2012 at Ghent University.  This Forum follows the successful Forum in 2011.

Following the four pillar structure proposed by the World Bank for the development of the Knowledge Economy, on the first day of the Forum 2012 we will discuss with our stakeholders the development:

of information infrastructures required to facilitate the effective communication, dissemination and processing of information.

of economic incentive and institutional regimes that enables the free flow of knowledge, supports investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and encourages entrepreneurship which is central to the knowledge economy.

of innovation networks of research centres, universities, think tanks, private enterprises and community groups necessary to tap into the growing stock of global knowledge, assimilate and adapt it to local needs, and create new knowledge.

On the second day we will discuss the development of university education to ensure that our graduates have the skills needed to create, share and use knowledge.

More details to follow – please put the date in your diary now and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in receiving further communications for this event