Eight countries represented, three days of intense work, one shared ambition: to advance wood education in Europe. The ENSTIB Wood Campus in Épinal hosted an international seminar as part of the Virtual Wood University project, bringing together experts from Finland, Austria, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Croatia… and of course, France.
Organized by Arnaud Besserer, teacher-researcher and Head of International Relations at ENSTIB, and Guenter Berger from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (Austria), project coordinator, this event enabled teachers, researchers, and academic coordinators to exchange best practices, enrich their educational content, and lay the foundations for strengthened collaboration on a European scale.
Among the participants were:
- Ilkka Tarvainen, Heikki Heiskanen, and Lea Heikinheimo – LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
- Guenter Berger and Marlene Suntinger – FH Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (Austria)
- Erika Olofsson – Linnaeus University (Sweden)
- Bartlomiej Mazela and Izabela Sieminska – Poznan University of Life Sciences (Poland)
- Jaan Kers – Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia)
- Andrea Stübner – Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (Germany)
- Hubert Speth – Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (Germany)
- Vjekoslav Zivkovic and Andrija Novosel – University of Zagreb (Croatia)
The European Virtual Wood University project, funded by the Erasmus agency, aims to pool knowledge in wood technology and management through collaborative, online-accessible teaching modules. The long-term goal is to develop a master’s degree in engineering sciences titled Wood and Resource Management. This program is designed to train students to support companies in their transition toward a circular bioeconomy in the wood sector, incorporating digital tools such as artificial intelligence. Courses will be shared among partner universities and delivered in hybrid format to offer students internationally-oriented skills and greater flexibility in learning.
During the seminar, discussions focused on the training and student mobility framework, industry needs, updates to pedagogical content, development of shared resources, and the economic model of the program. This innovative educational initiative aligns with the recent European trend of accrediting master’s level programs. The participants benefited from the support of the DRIE, through the involvement of Cécile Nouvel and Nathalie Fick, as well as from the DIPRO, represented by Nathalie Carol of the University of Lorraine.
The event was also an opportunity to explore ENSTIB’s facilities: laboratories, technical hall, research centers, and training platforms. And because conviviality is part of the school’s DNA, the participants also enjoyed a guided tour of the historic center of Épinal — the wood capital at the heart of the Vosges — which charmed visitors from across Europe.