Professional qualification Farrier specialist represents, and not only in the Czech Republic, the highest level of farrier education. He diagnoses, orthopedically trims, treats and shoes regular, irregular, and above all deformed and diseased hooves of all categories of horses, with the aim to improve the welfare of the treated horses and equidae in accordance with the applicable regulations. A specialist with this qualification also directly affects the quality of life and often decides directly on the further use or euthanasia of the horse. Close cooperation with veterinarians, horse breeders and owners is essential. The current number of registered horses in the Czech Republic requires an adequate number of farrier specialists who will, in cooperation with veterinarians, guarantee quality treatment of horse patients for owners and breeders. However, this can only be achieved by quality teaching, and examination, which has the weight and value corresponding to demanding nature of the profession. The project meets the set objectives with the participation of three partner institutions. The curriculum for the vocational course has been drawn up according to the requirements of current practice in all participating countries for the profession of a Farrier specialist (master). For the sake of clarity of these requirements, we have prepared the innovation of the curriculum for the Farrier Specialist course, which contains 13 training modules with 56 professional competencies. For the individual competencies, study materials have been created in the form of professional case reports. These contain expert explanatory texts, photographs with descriptions, video recordings, X-ray images with descriptions, and protocols of lameness locator examination. Case reports are complemented by teaching presentations. Each student has the opportunity to test their knowledge using simple tests. All materials are posted on the web site https://www.masterfarrier.com, which will continue to serve as a professional database of cases and their farriery treatments, not only for farriers, but also for lecturers and students of horse breeding, farriery, and veterinary medicine.In order to ensure a high standard of teaching in the Farrier Specialist course, 18 farriers and veterinarians were selected, to be prepared within the project for the position of lecturers and were also the authors of study materials.Within the project, a modern diagnostic tool Lameness locator was purchased for teaching purposes. The farrier is with this device able to evaluate, in a short period of time, which limb is lame primarily and which limb is lame only secondarily (this lameness is caused by the impairment of the primary limb). The accuracy of the obtained data informs about the exact deviations of the movement of the horse's body, which are not perceptible to the naked eye. On the basis of the results, X-ray examination and final diagnosis are performed. From a farrier's point of view, there is an excellent possibility of immediate evaluation of the correctness of the trim and shoeing with subsequent control of a positive change of localized problems in response to used orthopedic measures. In the framework of international educational activities, the lecturers met, complemented their knowledge and experience, and during the project, they completed study plans and study materials. The project significantly contributed to the fulfillment of long-term goals in the education of Farrier specialists. The innovated study plan is an excellent basis for Farrier Specialist vocational courses, which enable farriers and veterinarians to obtain the highest qualification in this field - Farrier Specialist - Master, which was not available in any of the participating countries prior to our project.

The implementation of the project will significantly improve the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate education as well as the professional level of the teachers of the universities involved in the project. The project goals are: a) create quality electronic teaching materials with innovative content for food study programs, b) create common modules of lectures and workshops of reputable experts on specific topics of food quality and safety, c) apply informatization and digitization in the food industry as a tool for improving the quality of education, (d) enhance the quality, integrity and efficiency of postgraduate education, (e) increase the professional potential of university teachers and their teaching and didactic skills. In addition to the applicant, three other universities are involved in the project. Project investigators have been cooperating on a long-term basis and contribute significantly to the education and training of food professionals in their countries. The profile of the project participants fully corresponds to the established project objectives. The project solves three key activities. KA1 Improving the quality of undergraduate education, KA2 Improving the quality of postgraduate education, KA3 Improving the quality of education of university teachers. The activities cover the needs of improving the quality of education and guarantee the fulfilment of project objectives. Project methodology includes elements of analysis, creativity, innovation, comparison, application and implementation of new knowledge, approaches, methods, forms and technologies. It connects students, teachers, universities, practice and countries so that the results of the project benefit each partner. The project outputs will be: a) innovated joint e-learning materials for undergraduate and postgraduate education, b) innovated joint lectures and workshops of teachers, c) innovated curricula of postgraduate education, c) joint conferences and workshops for postgraduate students, d) joint seminars, professional and scientific events for undergraduate, postgraduate students, teachers and food practitioners. The project results will be both tangible and intangible. The project outputs will be electronic publications, lectures, methodologies, methodological procedures, concepts and technologies. The obtained results will have a long-term contribution to improving quality and education in the area of food quality and safety. At the same time, the project will also set criteria for innovation of educational content in the areas: a) implementation of EU legislation, b) implementation of environmental and climate change impacts, c) implementation of innovation and food reformulation, d) implementation of information and digitalisation elements. The results of the project will allow in the next period: a) targeted development of study programs, b) extension of cooperation and its forms, c) improvement of undergraduate and postgraduate content of education d) continuous improvement of teacher training, e) continuous cooperation of partners in form of courses, workshops, seminars and conferences.

The European “Joint Doctorate in Molecular Animal Nutrition” – MANNA – includes 6 universities, 9 private companies and 3 public research institutes from 8 European countries. The goal is to: 1) develop an Elite European School to train early stage researchers (ESR) in OMIC technologies applied to animal nutrition and in essential scientific, entrepreneurial and management skills; 2) evaluate the influence of innovative feed additives on animal production; 3) deliver double doctoral (PhD) degrees in a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral network to develop a generation of internationally equipped scientists for the global workplace. The objectives will be achieved by co-supervising each of 11 ESRs with two Beneficiary Universities and a non-academic participant. They will work on integrated innovative research projects, designed to investigate the effects of anti-oxidants, microRNA, exosomes, methionine, lipids and plant derived anti-inflammatories in livestock diets on growth, intestinal health and systemic metabolism which will be assessed by integrating transcriptomic, microbiomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches in both in vivo and in vitro models. The results will go into informatic platforms to build analytic systems based on IBM-Watson cognitive computing. Secondments will enhance the research programmes of all ESR being based in industry and non-academic research institutes, whose field of activity include animal nutrition, veterinary diagnostic and clinical research, bioinformatics and professional communication in the agro-food sector. All will contribute to training by including ESR in their working team, and providing lectures and training sessions in Summer Schools and workshops which will reinforce the graduate programmes of each University. The joint governance structure of MANNA will manage the recruitment, supervision and assessment processes across the network and will become embedded in the future post graduate education of each University.

The B-THENET Thematic Network implements a multi actor (MA) approach to modernize the EU beekeeping sector, sharing knowledge that is ready to be put into practice, while fostering innovation and digitalization. Beekeepers will be advanced toward more economically viable and sustainable beekeeping through the knowledge sharing and training of useful and applicable best practices. Our MA approach engages the entire apiculture sector (beekeepers, advisors, researchers, policymakers, industry, consumers, etc.) to collect, categorize and help select best practices and applicable research findings not sufficiently known, using a bottom-up methodology that populates two accessible platforms (“Practices” and “R&I”). Only practices that meet beekeepers’ needs, are effective and ready to use, will be selected, shared and customized in our public platform (“Exchange”) and in national sub-networks (13 National Centres), so we can take into account the differences between territories, and adapt practices to specific regions, languages, equipment, bee genetics, diseases, and the operational scale of beekeeping. This approach will support the setting-up of tailored and validated best practices. A sociological study will map out the channels most consulted by beekeepers to maximise the dissemination of practices in a specific, long-term platform (“Repository”), which is set up to share best practices in appealing, easy to understand, audio-visual materials, translated into 15 EU languages. The flow of practical information will be supported by the 13 National Centres, 3 International Centres and by the targeted events (312 national and 6 international), 1 EU manual on best practices, and 1 set of guidelines for advisors in beekeeping, thus contributing to a rapid cross-fertilization process and to a greater acceptance of the final outputs.