Baltic University Programme

This webinar will focus on water safety and how water consumption influences the Baltic Sea Region. It will be held on 21 May at 14 CEST and the participants are welcome to contribute with questions to broaden the discussion. This is the fifth webinar in a series celebrating BUP’s 35th anniversary in 2026, dedicated to sustainability and the ten BUP themes.

Artur Magnuszewski (University of Warsaw) will give a talk titled 'Can we measure the sustainability using water consumption?'. There are different ways to measure water resources and their use. One popular is the index of water availability - volume of river runoff divided by number of citizens in a year - (Falkenmark, 2005). Another way used recently is the Water Exploitation Index (WEI). For sustainability at the lowest personal level, it can be used as the volume of water used per person per day. Questions raised are: How much water do you use daily and how is this consumption controlled in the digital era? What is the meaning of green water, blue water, black water and grey water? Is the water from the tap healthy?

Inga Grinfelde (Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies) will explore the question of whether we can drink digital water. In an era of artificial intelligence, digital twins, and data-driven hydrology, this provocative question highlights a critical reality. No model or algorithm can replace safe, clean drinking water, which remains essential for human health and survival. As water safety becomes increasingly sensitive due to pollution, climate change, and emerging contaminants, the responsibility of water engineers grows not only to model systems but to ensure a reliable, high-quality water supply for society. The talk calls for a new educational paradigm that integrates AI innovation with strong scientific understanding, ethical responsibility, and a deep commitment to safeguarding safe drinking water for present and future generations.

Register to attend the webinar via the BUP website: https://www.uu.se/en/collaboration-innovation/the-baltic-university-programme/events-and-announcements/bups-35-year-celebratory-webinars

The grant aims to develop and strengthen cooperation among young researchers in the Baltic Sea Region, at BUP participating universities, by covering travel and accommodation for a research project. The awarded maximum is a total value of 3000 Euros.

The grant is intended to support young scholars in their research on sustainable development. For an applicant to be eligible to receive the grant they need to have finished their PhD in the past 5 years.

The applications can be made for the funding of new research projects (in whole or in part), or as a financial contribution to ongoing ones, as long as the applicant stays at another university in the Baltic Sea Region during the Mobility Grant period.

The last application day is 30 April 2026. The suggested project has to be carried out between September 2026 and February 2027.

Read more about the grant and apply via the BUP website: https://www.uu.se/en/collaboration-innovation/the-baltic-university-programme/about-us/news/archive/2026-02-17-the-bup-announces-the-mobility-grant

This webinar will explore, through two talks, how what we eat influences the environmental status of the planet and how everyday practices can contribute to sustainability. It will be held on 19 March at 14 CET. This is the third webinar in a series celebrating BUP’s 35th anniversary in 2026, dedicated to sustainability and the ten BUP themes.

At the event, the participants are welcome to contribute with questions to broaden the discussion. These are the two presentations that will be given during the webinar:

Amanda Wood (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) – 'How diets can support healthy people on a healthy planet'

We know that the foods we eat affect our health, but our diets also influence the health of the planet. This talk will explore the many ways in which our diets impact environmental sustainability - for better and for worse - and describe what we can eat to keep both people and the planet healthy and thriving. Starting from a global view on what foods are produced, eaten and wasted, and moving down to a local Nordic perspective on diets, listeners will learn about dietary shifts that can make a positive impact on themselves and the planet.

Rūta Pelikšienė (Kaunas University of Technology) – 'Veganism, Stereotypes, and Everyday Climate Action'

Climate change discussions often focus on energy, transport, and industry, yet the climate impact of what we eat remains largely overlooked. This talk will explore the climate relevance of vegan practices and why their potential is often underappreciated. Drawing on sociological research and accessible data, it examines how cultural norms and stereotypes shape public perceptions of veganism and influence people’s willingness to engage with plant-based eating. By reframing veganism as a spectrum of everyday practices rather than an all-or-nothing lifestyle, the session invites participants to reconsider how food choices relate to climate action. This presentation will offer an engaging and practical perspective, leaving participants with concrete ideas for how gradual shifts toward plant-based eating can contribute to meaningful climate action.

Register to attend the webinar: https://doit.medfarm.uu.se/bin/kurt3/kurt/8900760

This webinar explores how war reshapes ecosystems, public health, and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. It will be held on 26 February at 14 CET. This is the second webinar in a series celebrating BUP’s 35th anniversary in 2026, dedicated to sustainability and the ten BUP themes.

The event will contain three focused presentations by Ukrainian researchers that examine environmental resilience and flood risks in Transcarpathia, the targeting and degradation of water bodies as both victims and instruments of war, and the emerging links between armed conflict, environmental exposure, and human health:

‘Water bodies of Ukraine as victims and weapons of war’, presented by Viktor Karamushka, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

‘Environmental Resilience of Transcarpathia during Wartime: Flood Risks, Infrastructure Degradation, and Emerging Anthropogenic Pressures’, presented by Svitlana Delegan-Kokayko, Uzhhorod National University.

‘War, Environment, and Cancer: Lessons from Ukraine’, presented by Olexiy Kovalyov, Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University.

Read more about the webinar and register to attend via the BUP website: https://www.uu.se/en/collaboration-innovation/the-baltic-university-programme/about-us/news/archive/2026-01-19-celebratory-webinar-human-and-environmental-consequences-of-war-in-ukraine-short--and-long-term-impacts

Photo: Khoda.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0, this section is an excerpt of the original

This webinar will explore the evolution of ESD and its current state, together with insights and perspectives from the participants. It will be held on 12 February at 14-15 CET. This is the first webinar in a series celebrating BUP’s 35th anniversary in 2026, dedicated to sustainability and the ten BUP themes.

Climate change, extreme weather events, global pandemics, financial instability, political and military conflicts, and the rapid evolution of AI – these are interconnected challenges shaping our world today, often emerging simultaneously and unpredictably.

Questions to be considered at the webinar are: How do these polycrisis conditions influence Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? Are higher education institutions in the Baltic Sea region truly “walking the ESD talk”? What obstacles do university educators face, and what expectations are students bringing to the table?

The presenters are PhD Aleksandra Halaim (Uppsala University) and PhD Cecilia Lundberg (Åbo Akademi University).

Read more about the webinar and register to attend via the BUP website: https://www.uu.se/en/collaboration-innovation/the-baltic-university-programme/about-us/news/archive/2026-01-13-bup-celebratory-webinar-education-for-sustainability-in-times-of-polycrisis