Vagalhão – HEI ICI

Team Vagalhão attended the XXIV IUFRO World Congress – Sustaining Forests, Sustaining People: The Role of Research with a presentation titled: “Higher education and capacity development for sustainability and clean technologies − experiences from Mozambique”, Oct 5-11, Salt Lake City, Utah, US. The themes and presentations in this event covered, for example, sustainable forest management, bioeconomy, life cycle assessment, forest industry, wood products, bioenergy and forest biomass & carbon related topics.

Poster IUFRO 2014-RH

Posted by Roope

Friday 17th October will begin an interesting phase in the Sol Nascente project!

In Parallel with Vagalhão; Sol Nascente brings students mobility into the process and the project staff welcomes seven students from the Wood Technology Master’s program at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane for a intensive study and industry visit to Finland for a period of two months. Students will be accompanied with their Professor Dr. Andrade Egas who will also deliver a guest lecture next week. Please see details below. Yor are most welcome to join the lesson and the conversation!

Guest Lecture Tuesday, 21st October 2014 at 10:00-11:30, Puu2 Auditorium

Professor Andrade Egas, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique

“Research and Education for Sustainability and Clean Technologies in the Forest Sector of Mozambique”

Aalto University international network is spreading to new areas and we want to welcome you to a guest lecture by Dr. Andrade Egas from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique with a topic “Research and Education for Sustainability and Clean Technologies in the Forest Sector of Mozambique”.

Mozambique is among the world’s most forested countries relative to land area and there is increasing international interest for collaborative work. Dr. Egas is the leading Professor of Wood Technology at the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University and has previous experience from international teaching and research co-operation with Brazil, Cuba, Finland, Portugal and Sweden among others. Joint projects Vagalhão and Sol Nascente with Aalto Clean Technologies Research Group bring Mozambican forestry engineering students to Finland in October 2014 for the first time for an intensive learning period of two months accompanied by their Professor for networking and associated visits to the Finnish forest industry.

The lecture will provide a unique perspective into international higher education collaboration and academic discussion.

You are most welcome!

More information:

Professor Olli Dahl, Dr.Sc. (Tech.)

Clean Technologies Research Group

Department of Forest Products Technology

Aalto School of Chemical Technology

olli.dahl@aalto.fi

Posted by Mikko

Vagalhão (capacity building) and Sol Nascente (student mobility) projects had an exciting time in September. Alongside the project we presented our first joint paper at the 5th African Conference on Environment and Water Resources Management in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference was an excellent introduction to the education and research activity and we learned a lot about the local scene and current and future educational needs. A big thank you goes to FinCEAL network and UniPID for supporting our research interests as well!

Straight after the conference we rendezvoused with UEM students and their teaching and research staff in Pretoria, South Africa as we managed to arrange a two-day excursion to SAPPI research centre there as well as mills and forestry sites in Mpumalanga province to network and learn more about sustainable forestry management from an operating company perspective. Preventing forest fires is a major concern in southern Africa and we also managed to see a fire fighting rehearsal during the visit! The visit altogether gave us a good view on industrial environmental responsibility and forestry management.

After the very inspiring excursion the whole group returned to Mozambique and Maputo for a workshop. The general outline was to discuss the students’ thesis projects and get further ideas for their literature studies that they will do in Finland. The workshop was very informative and we are eagerly anticipating for Professor Egas and the students to arrive in Finland on October 17th. Program is being finalized for their stay and it will include laboratory work, intensive study periods and several visits to industry which should be most exciting for the students to see.

Feedback from the module and the excursions has been very positive so far and we hope to keep it that way! Now that we have also made a personal contact with the students it will be even more pleasant to start working with them soon again. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues and guest students to Aalto University next week!

Posted by Mikko

Vagalhão project is continuing with networking and feedback from the module. Alongside other research project coordinator Roope Husgafvel and lecturer Mikko Martikka will attend the 5th IASTED African Conference on Environment and Water Resource Management ~AfricaEWRM 2014~ held on September 1 – 3, 2014 in Gaborone, Botswana.

Tour will continue with Vagalhão activity on visits to industry at SAPPI (South African Pulp and Paper Industries) research centre in Pretoria as well as Ngodwana paper mill and forestry locations in Nelspruit region of the Mpumalanga province. Group attending the excursion will include the entire Vagalhão team from both universities, students doing the module as well as several members of UEM research staff.

After the South African stretch the group will return to Maputo for a workshop in planning of the master’s thesis projects for the module students. Workshop has raised a lot of interest and will get great attendance from companies representatives, related interest groups and academia.

Second part of the workshop will be a feedback session regarding the module and the excursions. Ideas from the day will be utilized in the following phase on team’s Sol Nascente project in which the UEM students will visit Aalto University in Finland to do literature study for their theses and learn practical skills in wood technology and water quality determinations.

We look very much forward to all this forthcoming activity!

Posted by Mikko

Our joint module “Industrial Environmental Engineering” is running at the UEM campus and our latest travel report is here:

Travel report 2014_Vagalhao

Posted by Roope

Professor Andrade Egas and lecturer Natasha Ribeiro arrived in Finland on Monday 5th of May. Our week had roughly the following agenda:

May 6^th, (TUE)

Introduction of the Wood Technology laboratory at Aalto and department library. Host: Professor Mark Hughes http://puu.aalto.fi/en/

Introduction of the Clean Technologies Research Group (Puu1 building).  Vagalhäo-project meetings. Host: Professor Olli Dahl http://puu.aalto.fi/en/research/research_groups/clean_technologies/

Practical work/demos at Water Laboratory. Host: Sakari Toivakainen

May 7^th, (WED)

Visit to Koskisen Oy saw mill and production site (Järvelä) http://www.koskisen.com/

May 8^th, (THU)

Demo run of the Raute lathe at the Wood Technology laboratory

Visit to University of Helsinki campus at Viikki (host: Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI) See http://www.helsinki.fi/vitri/

Meet with study affairs (Aalto level/CHEM School level on management of post graduate studies) Sirje Liukko and Leena Hauhio.

Meet with METLA, (Sinikka Västilä) and discussion about shared projects in Mozambique. http://www.metla.fi/uutiskirje/bulletin/2012-03/news2.html and http://www.metla.fi/hanke/90238/index-en.htm

May 9^th, (FRI)

Visit to Kirkniemi pulp and paper mill (http://www.sappi.com/regions/eu/SappiEurope/Mills/Pages/KirkniemiMill.aspx) 

Visit to Nuuksio National Park Haltia Nature Centre http://www.haltia.com/home.

Along with the official program we had a pleasant time talking about things in and around the project and ideas were already discussed for further collaboration. Please enjoy this compilation of photos from the week:

Wood Technology laboratory at Aalto University; testing the Raute lathe for processing veneer. From left: project coordinator Roope Husgafvel, Professor Andrade Egas, lecturer Ntasha Ribeiro, Professors Mark Hughes and Olli Dahl.

Laboratory demonstration for analyzing and treating industrial wastewaters. Host Sakari Toivakainen from Clean Technologies Research group at Aalto University.

Tour of Alvar Aalto architecture on Aalto university Otaniemi campus. Main lecture hall.

Koskisen Oy visit at Järvelä mill hosted by CEO Markku Koskinen.

Discussing future possibilities with Sinikka Västilä from Metla (Finnish Forest Research Institute).

Impressed by the size of the machinery and products at SAPPI Kirkniemi paper mill.

Forests, need we say more why we want to preserve them? Nuuksio National Park.

Thank you everyone for your time and making this week a memorable experience! We look forward to the next step of the project: lecture visit to Mozambique later in May and June 2014. See you there!!

Posted by Mikko

Aalto Vagalhão staff are happy to welcome our colleagues from UEM Maputo, Mozambique for a combined university and field trip during week 19.

Along with project meetings, module planning and related study affairs the week will include visits to Koskisen Ltd. saw mill in Järvelä, SAPPI Finland paper mill in Kirkniemi, Lohja and University of Helsinki VITRI (Viikki Tropical Resources Institute) at the Department of Forest Sciences.

Local nature aspects are also studied as part of the week with a visit to Haltia Nature Centre and Nuuksio National Park.

Posted by Mikko

Vagalhão team was represented at the CleanTech Summit in Helsinki on February 25th 2014. The seminar and networking event gathered more than 600 people specializing on sustainable technologies. www.cleantechsummit.fi

Among the topics raised into discussion were development cooperation and cleantech as well as associated synergies etc.

Upcoming activities:

Unipoli, Tampere, 12-14 May 2014. Discussiona forum and seminar for sustainability education and pedagogical work in sustainable development and international higher education http://study.unipolitampere.fi/kevatpaivat2014/en/index.html

Vagalhão staff and Clean Technologies Research group in Aalto University will host a visit to UEM teachers on 5.-10. May 2014. Professor Andrade Egas and Lecturer Natasha Ribeiro will be given presentations and participating in workshops discussing the areas of forest products technology, engineering education and pedagogy as well as novel methods used in industrial environmental engineering and management including site visits to Koskisen Oy Saw Mill and SAPPI Kirkniemi Mills. UEM staff will also visit VITRI (Viikki Tropical Resources Institute) at the University of Helsinki for a meeting on forestry management practices.

Posted by Mikko

Vagalhão team completed the first set of lecture preparation in December 2013 with full scale lecture material. The course book is also being translated into English and finishing touches done so we expect to have the book ready for distribution when the course begins in May – June.

We will also receive visitors in Finland later in the spring. The lecturing staff from UEM Maputo will visit Aalto University in May-June to see practices here, do excursions and discuss further steps with the department in educational and research collaboration.

We look forward to welcoming our guests in Espoo as well as for the next visit in Mozambique. Meanwhile please have a look at the final travel report from 2013 below.

Travel report 2013_Vagalhao

Posted by Mikko

Vagalhão staff have been active in networking participating in various events and meetings in Finland. Our coordinator Roope participated the following events from which we received valuable information:

Knowing Development – Developing Knowledge? 2nd Nordic Conference on Development Research arranged in Espoo November 14.-15. 2013.

http://www.kehitystutkimus.fi/conference/

Mozambique Today – and tomorrow? Seminar and panel discussion. Challenges of development including some reflections on knowledge, citizenship  and democracy in the framework of  the upcoming elections. Arranged by Finland-Mozambique Friendship Association, November 16 2013.

http://www.mosambikseura.fi/?q=content/mozambique-today-and-tomorrow-november-16-2013

Posted by Mikko