MUG representatives at the Instituto Politécnico de Santarém

15.07.2025

Sustainable food production, its impact on human health and well-being, access to fresh food in the context of climate change and health risk assessment, as well as the cultural aspects of food – including culinary tourism and gastronomic heritage – were among the key topics addressed during the second ACEploration mission, held under the ACE²-EU Alliance. Participants took part in an intensive and interdisciplinary programme held on 3rd-4th July at the Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, held under the name of Bioeconomy – Science, Products, Lifestyle and Culture.

The event brought together partner universities from across the ACE²-EU Alliance, including institutions from Portugal, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Latvia, Germany, Spain, Austria, and Romania. This gathering further strengthened European collaboration, promoting a more sustainable, digital and integrated approach to education. The Medical University of Gdańsk was represented by Assoc. Prof. Maciej Tankiewicz, Ph.D. Eng., D.Sc. from the Department of Environmental Toxicology, Milena Lachowicz, Ph.D. from the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy and Krzysztof Dudek from the ACE²-EU Alliance Office.

The MUG team collaborated on the development of five joint short-format educational programmes (within the frameworks of the Blended Intensive Programme, Applied Blended Challenge Programme and Flavour School), which will be implemented in cooperation with ACE²-EU partner universities during the next academic year.

This mission once again confirmed the importance of transnational collaboration in developing effective responses to contemporary challenges across Europe.

ACEploration is an initiative under Work Package WP2 – Applied Programmes and Pedagogy Factory (APP Factory), which fosters unique opportunities for cooperation in education, research, innovation, and societal engagement. Each mission is hosted by a different university within the ACE²-EU Alliance and serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and pedagogical practices.

The main objectives of ACEploration missions include:

• strengthening institutional collaboration within ACE²-EU
• developing joint educational programmes
• supporting staff and student mobility
• engaging with stakeholders and the broader community
• promoting green and digital transformation through education.

The theme of this edition of ACEploration was bioeconomy, with a particular emphasis on food products – their production, cultural significance, impact on lifestyle, and the scientific advances behind their development.