BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME
Title: SustainLife: Sustainable Agrifood Chains in the Digital Era
Organising Unit:
- Faculty of Agri-food and Environmental Economics
- Doctoral School of Economics II
Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Number of participants: 15
Workload: 3 ECTS for SMS participants
Objectives and Description
The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “SustainLife: Sustainable Agrifood Chains in the Digital Era” aims to provide students and academic staff with the opportunity to acquire advanced competences related to the green and digital transition of agrifood chains, within an international and interdisciplinary framework. The programme seeks to strengthen participants’ capacity to understand and apply principles of sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation, thereby contributing to increased resilience of food systems, improved food security, and the promotion of responsible and inclusive economic models.
Participants will develop skills in the use of emerging digital technologies, in the analysis of relevant public policies, and in the design of innovative solutions that integrate the economic, nutritional, environmental, and social dimensions of agrifood systems.
Key objectives include:
- Promoting sustainable agrifood practices by increasing awareness of resource-use efficiency, reducing food waste, and encouraging the consumption of local, seasonal, and environmentally friendly products.
- Developing digital competences in agrifood systems by familiarising participants with the use of digital technologies such as blockchain, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data, with the aim of enhancing transparency, traceability, and efficiency across food supply chains.
- Supporting nutrition and food security by promoting sustainable diets and highlighting the role of digital solutions in ensuring food availability, accessibility, and equity for diverse communities.
- Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector by cultivating a culture of creativity and initiative that integrates sustainability with digitalisation in the development of solutions applicable to current and future challenges.
- Strengthening community and international collaboration by connecting participants from diverse cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, facilitating the exchange of best practices and the co-creation of projects that combine sustainability, digital transformation, and social inclusion.
- Enhancing institutional capacity and policy frameworks for sustainable transition by promoting evidence-based policymaking, institutional cooperation, and education oriented towards inclusive governance and integrated sustainability strategies.
- Advancing the circular agrifood economy by encouraging innovative closed-loop models that connect producers, processors, and consumers, contributing to increased climate resilience and the regeneration of agrifood systems.
By combining theoretical components with practical, collaborative, and digital activities, this interactive programme ensures the immediate transfer of acquired knowledge into real-world contexts. Participants will be encouraged to apply the competences developed both in academic settings and in their professional activities, thereby contributing in the long term to the sustainable, digital, and equitable transformation of agrifood chains at local, regional, and international levels.
Methods and Outcomes
Methods
- Virtual event: Interactive online session designed for students, academic staff, and other relevant stakeholders, focusing on sustainable agrifood systems, digital tools, and innovative practices. Topics covered include food waste reduction, smart farming, product traceability, and sustainable consumption models.
- Community visits: Practical activities carried out at local farms, cooperatives, or agrifood enterprises, aimed at demonstrating the concrete application of sustainable practices supported by digital solutions. These visits encourage collaboration, shared responsibility, and contextualised learning.
- Workshops on digital transformation in agrifood chains: Interactive workshops dedicated to the use of digital technologies such as blockchain for traceability, artificial intelligence for food security forecasting, and the Internet of Things for sustainable agriculture, with a strong focus on applicability and competitiveness.
- Case studies and exchange of best practices: The analysis and presentation of successful initiatives from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Serbia, illustrating the integration of sustainability and digitalisation in the agrifood sector. Participants will critically assess challenges and opportunities for adapting these models to their own contexts.
- Collaborative project work: Group activities carried out in mixed international teams, aimed at developing innovative proposals for sustainable agrifood solutions that combine digital and traditional elements, fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and intercultural learning.
Outcomes
- An in-depth understanding of the relationship between digitalisation and sustainability, through increased awareness of how digital technologies and sustainable practices jointly contribute to food security, environmental protection, and quality of life.
- The adoption of sustainable and digital behaviours, by integrating environmentally friendly practices supported by digital tools, such as traceability applications and food waste monitoring platforms, into academic and everyday life.
- Increased awareness of sustainable agrifood practices across the entire food supply chain, with particular emphasis on the long-term impact of integrating sustainability with digital innovation.
- Improved dietary and consumption habits, through the promotion of sustainable diets and informed choices, facilitated by digital solutions that enhance transparency and accessibility of information.
- Stimulation of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, by developing participants’ capacity to design creative and applicable solutions to real-world challenges in the agrifood sector.
- Strengthened community and international collaboration, by creating and reinforcing links among participants, academic institutions, agrifood enterprises, and local communities.
- Promotion of social inclusion and food equity, by highlighting how digitalisation and sustainability can contribute to equitable access to healthy food and the reduction of inequalities.
- A lasting impact on food system resilience and environmental quality, by encouraging coordinated actions that integrate the green transition with digital innovation and international cooperation.
Field of Education
The programme falls within the fields of economic, agrifood, and environmental sciences, with a strong interdisciplinary character, integrating perspectives from agrifood economics, sustainability, public policy, nutrition, innovation, and digital transformation. The focus is placed on the analysis and development of sustainable agrifood chains, the use of digital technologies in agriculture and the food industry, as well as the promotion of food security and the circular economy.
Students and academic staff involved in areas such as agrifood economics, environment, sustainable development, public policy, digitalisation, and innovation are recommended as priority target groups for participation, given the direct relevance of the competences acquired to their academic and professional activities.
Field of study (ISCED): 0819 – Interdisciplinary (Economic, agrifood, and environmental sciences)
Description of the Virtual Component
The virtual component complements the physical mobility of the programme, aiming to prepare participants both conceptually and practically for the intensive face-to-face activities that follow. It provides an open and interactive framework for dialogue among students, academic staff, and other relevant stakeholders, facilitating the identification and analysis of barriers related to the adoption of sustainable practices, the integration of digital technologies, and the promotion of responsible food consumption.
Through this component, participants will have the opportunity to critically reflect on current challenges within agrifood chains, exchange ideas and best practices, and develop innovative solutions that combine sustainability with digital transformation, from an international and intercultural perspective.
Structure and Content – Weekly Online Seminars
- Pre-training module: Self-paced online learning activities, including video materials, recommended readings, and digital resources dedicated to sustainable agrifood practices, the circular economy, food security, and the use of digital technologies (blockchain, IoT, artificial intelligence, big data) in agrifood chains.
- Virtual discussion forum: An interactive platform designed for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and perspectives among participants, where concrete challenges related to food waste reduction, product traceability, support for local production, and increased transparency in food systems will be discussed. The forum will facilitate interaction both before and after the synchronous sessions.
- Thematic webinars: Live sessions delivered by experts from academic and professional environments, focusing on topics such as digital transformation for sustainability, policies and education for the green transition, food security and sustainable diets, as well as examples of good practices from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Serbia.
- Reflection and synthesis activities: Applied exercises and guided discussions aimed at supporting knowledge transfer, strengthening interdisciplinary learning, and preparing participants for the collaborative activities during the physical mobility.
The virtual component is scheduled prior to the physical mobility, contributing to maximising the educational impact of the programme and to strengthening an international community of participants dedicated to promoting sustainable, transparent, and resilient agrifood chains through digital innovation.
Programme
The blended intensive programme is delivered in an integrated format, combining a virtual component with physical mobility, with the aim of maximising educational impact and international cooperation.
Virtual Component
- Pre-training module: 06 April 2026 – 19 April 2026
This phase is dedicated to the conceptual preparation of participants through weekly online seminars, asynchronous learning activities, and virtual discussions focusing on the sustainability of agrifood chains, digital transformation, food security, and the circular economy.
Physical Component
Physical mobility: 20 April 2026 – 24 April 2026
Face-to-face activities will take place in Bucharest, Romania, hosted by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The physical component includes interactive workshops, study visits, collaborative group activities, and exchanges of best practices among participants and partner institutions.
The duration of the physical activities is 5 days, excluding travel days.
Preliminary Conditions for Participation
In order to ensure the effective implementation of the programme and the achievement of its educational objectives, participants are required to meet the following conditions:
- a minimum level of English language proficiency, necessary for active participation in courses, workshops, and group activities;
- a demonstrated interest in fields such as agrifood economics, sustainability, digital transformation, food security, and innovation;
- motivation and willingness to actively engage in the educational and collaborative activities of the programme;
- openness and ability to collaborate in an international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary environment;
- availability to participate in all components of the programme, both virtual and physical, in accordance with the established schedule.
Applications
Participants in the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “SustainLife: Sustainable Agrifood Chains in the Digital Era” are required to apply for an Erasmus+ KA131 BIP grant for study or training mobility through their home institution. The application procedure and the allocation of financial support are managed by each partner institution, in accordance with internal regulations and the Erasmus+ Programme Guide.
For further information regarding eligibility conditions, grant amounts, and required documentation, participants are advised to contact the International Relations Office of their home institution.
Nomination by the Home Institution
Partner institutions shall nominate their candidate(s) for participation in the BIP programme. It is recommended that home institutions organise an internal selection call in order to ensure a transparent and competitive nomination process, in line with the objectives of the programme and the profile of the targeted participants (students and academic staff).
Nomination Deadline
Home institutions are required to submit the BIP participant nominations by the following date: 15.02.2026
Interested participants are expected to register following this link: https://forms.gle/hKsxWnwQquTkX7nF7.
