International Honorary Chair „Jean BART” in support of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region

Mini MBA Programme:

EU Expert and Entrepreneur in the

Management of Circular Economy and Sustainable Development

Period: May – July 2020

Why a mini-MBA Programme in the new area of Circular Economy?

• This summer,the European Investment Bank together with other five national development banks from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain launched a new generous financing offer for circular economy, in amount of 10 billions Euro. This are in addition to those already available through Horizon 2020 and COSME EU Programms.

• A huge boom in the circular economy is about to globally generate tens of millions of new jobs. According to the Davos Economic Forum and the Global Young Leaders Forum, the main companies that compete in this field are: Schneider Electric, Winnow, DyeCoo, Close the Loop, Enerkem, Cambrian Innovation, Lehigh Technologies, HYLA Mobile, TriCiclos, Miniwiz, AB InBev etc.

• Our program aims to be as practical as possible, with a synergistic focus on four key components, on which the concept of sustainability mostly depends: knowledge, innovation, technologies and entrepreneurship in the circular economy.

• Specifically, scientific approaches provide the framework for basic knowledge that is designed to stimulate innovation in the ecosystem in which entrepreneurs and managers are currently operating. Technologies are the means chosen to subsequently transform innovation into entrepreneurial projects with a long lasting impact on the entire community. Finally, the leadership capacity, endows entrepreneurs, experts, managers or consultants with the absolutely necessary skills to guide businesses towards generating economic and social well-being while protecting the environment and raising sustainability standards.

• By July 2020, in order not to be subject to new EU infringement procedures, Romania has to implement the EU Directives on packaging and packaging waste, as well as reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

• These challenges, on the one hand, place particular pressure on the states and the business sector in the countries that have lagged behind in implementing the circular economy regulations, but they also create great professional opportunities, especially for SMEs that want to implement these standards (see C-Voucher 2nd Circularity Financing Call). For example, through the Horizon 2020 Program, financial support of 60,000 Euro / SME is offered to accelerate the implementation of solutions in their own business.

Which are our offer and approach?

At the end of the program, the graduates will be stimulated to carry out the change themselves, especially through provocative practices that they became familiar with during the course. Thus, for example, the curriculum, together with the case studies and the transfer of good practices, will support them to the point where the organizations / companies from which they come to be able to implement applied policies, for example, in order to reduce the use of plastic, including through the steps leading to it. when establishing a whole value chain, while protecting the environment and the quality of the products.

By learning to use mainly the so-called “design-thinking techniques“, implicitly by formulating proposals on the operational and strategic implementation of the topics of circular economy, the graduates are supported to transpose the theory into the real world, especially through partnerships with large international environmental organizations, based on business models that have already been successfully tested.

As a goal transposed into practice, graduates will be able to involve themselves, from an integrative, detailed and practical perspective, into solving a considerable range of global risks and societal challenges by creating accelerated sustainable practices at various levels of applicability.

Examples of key-filds:

• textile industry – creative industries – fashion
• construction industry
• logistics
• furniture – interior decorations
• food

Proposed modules

1. Defining the concept of sustainability in conjunction with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the global sustainability goals enacted and promoted by the United Nations. Previous critical developments and possible ways of counteracting them – the evolving model proposed by Switzerland

2. The new strategic directions of the European Union in the field of circular economy, based on the Action Plan and the Roadmap elaborated by the European Commission, with guidance until 2040. Case studies and examples of good practices

3. The European Platform for Stakeholders in the Circular Economy (joint initiative of the European Commission and the EESC – the European Economic and Social Committee). Best practices: NEFI – Network of European Financial Institutions for Small & Medium Sized Enterprises; CAN – Knowledge Economy Network

4. Opportunities and challenges related to innovative and measurable business models of the circular economy. Best practices: The guide to a circular fashion industry

5. Basic elements of the assets of the territorial capital in accordance with the anticipation of the local and regional challenges. Study case: formation of a value chain on plastics, involvement of stakeholders, management of necessary resources, with emphasis on marketing, sales and distribution within the chain. How we stimulate the demand component in the circular economy: the importance of the collaborative dimension and elements regarding public procurement and development of concrete business projects

6. The networking and leadership component in relation to stakeholders of various types in the process of generating systemic changes, including in other related sectors. Training of key competences and skills by enhancing the knowledge and adapted tools to potential requierements.

Instead of conclusions: What is the future of the circular economy and the creation of an alliance of value chains in the European Union – from the point of view of preserving biodiversity, the business environment and society as a whole.

Final evaluation: according to the criteria and recommendations of the European Union in the field, to formulate a project proposal regarding an innovative product or technology that can lead to the generation and consolidation of a value chain –  through professional associations, clusters, hubs, etc. 

Organisers

International Honorary Chair ”Jean Bart” in support of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (CIO-SUERD), project coordinated by EUROLINK-House of Europe Foundation and founded in partnership with the Biodiversity Centre  of the Romanian Academy (2012). 

”Local Communities along the Danube Region” Association (CLDR) – Training Department, chaired by the Maritime University in Constanta, member of the Council of Danube Cities and Regions (CoDCR, Vienna) and Co-Founder Member of the Danube-Black Sea Macro-Regional Hub 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Reviving the EU Strategy for the Danube Region through innovation – the members of CIO-SUERD (June 2018)

Consultants and mentors:

The programme benefits from the theoretical and practical coordination of prestigious experts and trainers:

Simina LAKATOS, PhD – Representative in Romania for Circular Economy – DG Environment, European Commission – General Manager, Institute for Research in Circular and Environmental Economy “Ernest Lupan”;

Dr. Eng. Urb. Pietro ELISEI – Urban Planning Expert of the European Commission/ISOCARP/General Manager URBASOFIA;

Jamil BENABDALLAH – Consultant in Tourism Development / President of the Association for the Development of Social and Health Tourism

Prof. BRAD – President of the Danube Macro-Regional Hub – Black Sea / President of CLUJ IT Cluster

Prof. Gabriela DAVID – International Honorary Chair “Jean Bart” (CIO-SUERD) – Oradea

Sandu ZAMFIRESCU – Knowledge Management Specialist / Communications Director CLDR Association

Sever AVRAM – General Coordinator International Honorary Chair “Jean Bart” (CIO-SUERD) / Associated Researcher Romanian Academy

Certification

The online programme (3 months) is a post-graduate course, which is also part of the European Union concept of “lifelong learning“. The courses are held online, from May to July 2020, through an educational platform (moodle), accessible to any learner in a flexible way.

The participants receive, after the final evaluation, the Certificate of Graduation with the detailed annex of the modules and the evaluation method, issued by the International Honorary Chair “Jean Bart” CIO-SUERD, project founded by the EUROLINK Foundation-House of Europe in partnership with INCE – Biodiversity Center “Acad. David DAVIDESCU ”of the Romanian Academy, an educational institution that together with the Ministry of Education is empowered by law to organize postgraduate training courses and other advanced strategic studies.

Registration

Enrollments are accepted on the basis of the principle ”First come – first served” by submiting the Enrollment Form. Further details are to be requested to the Organising Consortium via e-mail: ciosuerd@gmail.com or by phone: (+4) 0723699857. Deadline: 10 May 2020.

Parteneri Media

Associated Media Partners: Agenția Națională de Presă AGERPRES, Radio7, Juridice.ro. Media Partners: Finantare.ro, CalendarEvenimente.ro, CaleaEuropeana.ro, Comunicații Mobile, SmartFinancial.ro, BrandInfo.ro, Opinia Națională, PRwave.ro, ComunicateMedia.ro, Tribuna Economică, Tomisul Cultural, 24PHarte.ro, ”Buletin Dunărean”.