EULAND21 Project aimed at trans-European recognition of the landscape architecture profession. In addition, it aims to develop tools for assessing existing study programs and courses according to the standards and requirements of the European Region of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Europe) and the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS). In addition partners worked on the development of a bachelor landscape architecture for the University of Vilnius. Partners are Uuniversities from Estonia, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands (DSL) and Lithuania and the European Region of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Europe).
This initiative was taken by the universities from Estonia, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Lithuania, together with IFLA EUROPE which was supported by European Union. On 27-28 of October 2016, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania) hosted the official kick off meeting of the project where the partners presented and discussed ambitious goals of this initiative. A two-year long project planned to recruit the best experts in landscape architecture education who elaborated tools for assessment of the existing landscape architecture study programmes and subjects according to the standards and the requirements of IFLA Europe - European Region of International Federation of Landscape Architects and the European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS). They set up the framework for upgrading and developing the study programmes in landscape architecture in the participating European universities.“In the face of recent environmental, social and economic challenges, the profession of landscape architects is assigned new roles and missions of being prepared to respond to the rising expectations, and education is the first step”, - said Prof. Gintaras Stauskis, the EU-Land21 project coordinator. IFLA Europe has developed the standards to ensure that landscape architecture training is coherent across the European continent and that the graduates would have their professional qualification recognised EU-wide. Until now, only 83 programmes from 57 different European universities out of around 150 have received IFLA Europe accreditation.
EU-Land21 responded to the need of high level academic Landscape Architecture training in Europe and increase quality of education in partner’s countries by offering the sustainable tool for continuous upgrade and modernisation of LA study process. As a result, international landscape architecture training will encourage trans-national mobility and employability of the graduates. The project also strengthened the European network of Landscape Architecture experts, cooperation of whom will open opportunities for sharing and enhancement of their experience. The project results will be integrated into the existing education guidelines on European level and will influence the activities of IFLA Europe School Recognition Panel and Landscape Architecture education in the European continent in years to come. The EULAND21 Project “Trans-European Education for Landscape Architects” was funded under Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership programme. The project was finalised in 2019.
Members of the Team:
- Prof Gintaras Stauskis, LALA, Lithuania
- Marina Cervera, AEP, Spain
- Fritz Auweck, BAK, Germany
- Simon Bell, EMU Estonia
- Albert Fekete, SZIU Hungary
- Jozef Hernik, URK Poland
- Jeroen de Vries, DSL, Netherlands
