Contact: George Zervas, gzervas@aua.gr
The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) is the 3rd oldest university in Greece. Since 1920, it contributes consistently and continuously to Greek and European primary sector development, by conducting basic and applied research in agricultural related sciences. AUA conducts one third of the agricultural research in Greece. The AUA campus is a complex of 16 buildings comprising of auditoriums, 41 fully equipped laboratories, a modern library, computer clusters, extensive agricultural facilities (an arboretum, vineyard, experimental fields, flower garden, greenhouses, cowshed, sheep pen, chicken coop, dairy installations, aquaculture tanks). AUA counts 178 academic staff, 300 supportive staff, 3,000 students, 450 MSc students and 250 PhD students.
AUA research funding schemes come from the private sector as well EU and Greek research projects (i.e. AUA the last 4 years has participated, as a leader or partner in 53 EU projects). AUA contributions address a wide range of issues related to food safety and environmental protection significantly affecting the daily lives of Greek and Europeans citizens: food quality and safety, water resource conservation, organic farming, alternative energy sources, biotechnological applications in agriculture, information and communications technology.
AUA will contribute to various aspects of the DISARM project, including the Community of Practice; collating state of the art research, farmer and industry led innovations which can reduce antibiotic resistance in livestock production; and assisting with project communications and dissemination of results. AUA will also facilitate five of the 40 multi-actor farm health plan case studies.