The visit of Dr. Olaf Jahn from Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany

From 29th of May 2017 until 2nd of June 2017 we received the visit of Dr. Olaf Jahn from the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn, Germany. Together with Dr. Olaf Jahn have developed a H2020 project application – ECHOS.

For the first working session at the University of Bucharest beside our team and other researchers a small group of Master and PhD students were also invited to attend. Dr. Olaf made a presentation on “The use of automated acoustic monitoring for averting the looming biodiversity crisis” which triggered a first round of questions and discussions.

Following Olaf’s presentation, Dan Hulea, from the “Romanian Ornithological society” gave a presentation entitled “Think globally, act locally” targeting the importance of biodiversity conservation and the role of Natura 2000 network and the Breeding Bird Atlas in Romania followed by a second round of discussions.

After the meeting in Bucharest we took off to Braila, where a field trip in the Small Braila Island Natural Park was organized the next day. During the stay in Braila we started the development of a Twinning, H2020 project application.

To further strengthen the ties between our institutions and improve our long-term collaboration a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Bucharest and Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany was written with the main goals of:

  1. To promote the academic and scientific exchange as a tool for joint international scientific research and teaching programs. Among the areas of interest are: (a) the development of technological tools for automated biodiversity monitoring, studies on animal populations and animal ecology, and technological support to adaptive habitat management; and (b) the building of an animal sound library for Romania.
  2. To develop individual collaborative research projects, financed under Horizon 2020, LIFE+, INTERREG, BiodivERsA ERA-Net, and other appropriate financial instruments of the European Commission or of national funding agencies of Romania and Germany, in areas of mutual interest.
  3. To promote and publish results of joint research projects under shared sponsorship and authorship as defined by project-specific agreements.