The three-year international GreenSkillsCoLab project will begin in autumn 2026, bringing together higher education institutions across the Nordic and Baltic countries to develop green skills, sustainable entrepreneurship, responsible resource use and experiential learning among students and academic staff. The project centres on collaboration across disciplines and countries, connecting knowledge of sustainable development with its practical application.
The participating institutions are Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Rīga Stradiņš University, and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. The partners’ complementary expertise—ranging from landscape architecture, agriculture and environmental sciences to social work, well-being, food technology and entrepreneurship—enables an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented approach to sustainable development.
At the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the project’s themes are explored, among other perspectives, through landscape architecture, recognising that sustainable development challenges concern not only resource use but also how we design, use and value our living environments. Landscape architecture integrates ecological, social, spatial and economic considerations, translating knowledge from different disciplines into tangible spatial solutions. It therefore plays an important integrative role in the project, encompassing the design of nature-based and climate-resilient solutions, the promotion of human well-being and co-creation, and the development of sustainable rural and urban environments.
GreenSkillsCoLab addresses key regional challenges, including food loss and waste, the ageing of small-scale producers, limited processing, logistics and marketing opportunities, and the gap between sustainability education and its practical application. In line with developments in the bioeconomy, the project also explores more diversified uses of biomass and circular economy solutions, including opportunities to develop biomaterials, biofertilisers and other innovative products.
A core principle of the project is learning through direct experience, co-creation and engagement with nature. Sustainable development requires not only knowledge but also the ability to observe, analyse, care and act responsibly. International learning mobility, volunteering, practical assignments and digital forms of collaboration enable students and academic staff to learn in diverse settings and jointly develop solutions to real-world problems.
For landscape architecture education, the project offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen future professionals’ capacity to work in international and interdisciplinary teams and to integrate environmental, social and economic knowledge into spatial planning and design. At the same time, participants from other disciplines gain a deeper understanding of the role of space and natural environments in developing sustainable solutions. The project thus provides a shared learning environment in which different disciplines complement one another.
Over the three-year period, the project will develop a collaborative network of Nordic and Baltic higher education institutions in which knowledge exchange, international learning mobility, co-creation and interdisciplinary collaboration support both learners’ professional development and the implementation of sustainable solutions in practice.
GreenSkillsCoLab contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda and seeks to generate lasting educational, environmental and societal impacts throughout the Nordplus region.
Project implementation: Kadri Maikov https://www.emu.ee/en/contacts/kadri-maikovlink opens in new page
LinkedIn https://ee.linkedin.com/in/kadri-maikovlink opens in new page
Project link https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Projects/Display/fa703260-4211-4fc1-ad6d-90df7cb13beclink opens in new page
