NOVA University Network

Image
The Nordic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network (NOVA)
NOVA is a university cooperation aimed at supporting the understanding of major global challenges in a Nordic context. Together we provide high quality PhD-level courses in subjects related to agricultural, forestry and veterinary sciences, and support PhD and post-graduate veterinarian specialisation students and NOVA’s scientists in building international scientific networks.

NOVA provides the opportunity for teachers to organise high quality PhD courses in collaboration with colleagues at other NOVA universities and with participants from NOVA universities and other international universities/organisations.

Participation in courses is free of charge for students from NOVA member universities. Travel and accommodation, however, is usually not covered.
Image

Attend a course

All courses listed on this webpage are classified as NOVA courses by the hosting institution. That implies that all PhD and post-graduate veterinarian specialisation students registered at NOVA and BOVA member institutions may attend these courses free of charge. Registration procedures may vary between courses but are always outlined in the course descriptions.
Upcoming courses by the application deadline

13 February 2026

Equitation Science

Course details

13 February 2026

15 February 2026

Immunonutrition in Aquaculture - From novel feeds to overall health

Course details

01 March 2026

Evolutionary Plant Pathology – effects on genes, individuals, populations and species

Course details

01 March 2026

30 April 2026

Environmental Communication and the Politics of Disagreement

Course details

Immunonutrition in Aquaculture - From novel feeds to overall health

Organised by: Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Course level: Postgraduate level / Doctoral or equivalent third cycle (EQF level 8)

ECTS: 3
Venue: Ås, Norway

Course term: 08 - 19 June 2026

Maximum number of participants: 10

A PhD course to deepen and update the theoretical and practical knowledge on fish nutrition and health. This course will allow students to gain the foundations to develop useful skills and tools for their career based on immunonutrition.

Application period: 01 November 2025 - 15 February 2026;
APPLICATION FORM

Environmental Communication and the Politics of Disagreement

Organised by: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Course level: Postgraduate level / Doctoral or equivalent third cycle (EQF level 8)

ECTS: 5
Venue: Uppsala, Sweden (Wik Castle)

Course term: 01 June 2026 - 18 September 2026
Online part: 1 June - 15 August 2026; early September 2026
Platform used: ZOOM

Course format: blended (in person + online component)

Maximum number of participants: 20

A PhD course, run in the form of a summer school, that explores environmental communication from three key social science perspectives, focusing on social, symbolic interaction, discourses and information infrastructures. Communication is here understood as the joint construction of meaning, and the course will engage with such meaning-making where it concerns environmental, agricultural, forestry and related issues, with special emphasis on conflict and political struggles. 

Course details

Application procedure: 

Please apply by email, including:
 
(a) a short summary of your PhD project (or of those elements of the project that are of particular relevance to the course)
(b) a short motivation statement that explains why you are interested in this course.
 
Together, these two parts should be approx 1 page long.
 
Please send your application to anke.fischer@slu.se 
 
Closing date: 30 April 2026. Spaces will be allocated on a rolling basis (i.e., it might be advantageous to apply early) and accepted participants will be notified as soon as possible.

Equitation Science

Organised by: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Course level: Postgraduate level / Doctoral or equivalent third cycle (EQF level 8)

ECTS: 4
Venue: Wången, Sweden

Course term: 02 - 06 March 2026, in-person only

Maximum number of participants: 25

The Equitation Science course explores equine welfare and sustainability through topics such as the Five Domains Model, animal emotions and stress, ethics, cognition, and learning.

Participants will engage in lectures, seminars, and discussions led by international experts from Nordic and international institutions, and apply theory through practical exercises at the Wången Equestrian Centre. The course provides networking and collaboration opportunities across NOVA member universities and supports the development of evidence-based equine
management in practice and research.

Course details

Application procedure: 
Please contact Course coordinator Maria Vilain Rörvang: mariav.rorvang@slu.se 
 
Application deadline: 13 February 2026

Evolutionary Plant Pathology – effects on genes, individuals, populations and species

Organised by: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Course level: Postgraduate level / Doctoral or equivalent third cycle (EQF level 8)

ECTS: 4
Venue: Älvkarleby (Uppsala) Sweden

Course term: 01 - 05 June 2026, blended format (in person + online)
Online participation: April-June (online weekly journal club), ZOOM

Maximum number of participants: 20

This course will cover the nature of evolutionary processes and their impacts on genes, individuals, populations and species within the area of plant pathology. Aspects that will be covered include the influence of population genetic processes (i.e. selection, genetic drift and gene flow, mutation), molecular evolution, epigenetic processes and genomic consequences of selection. Plant pathology phenomena of these processes, including pathogen adaptation to different hosts and abiotic stress, the two-speed genome hypothesis and effector evolution, plant disease resistance and breeding, fungicide resistance, evolution of biocontrol interactions and ecological effectors, and speciation will be covered. Basic concepts and underlying mechanisms will be covered alongside with an introduction to the methods and tools that are used in these research areas.


Course details
Application form

Application deadline: 01 March 2026

Arrange a NOVA Course

All NOVA courses are arranged locally by each member university. Teachers who would like to arrange a NOVA course should consult the local regulations or focal points, please see below. Funds for teacher mobility can be supported through Erasmus+ or Nordplus, if courses do not have budget for incoming teachers. The local NOVA coordinators may advise on how to apply for this.
According to the NOVA agreement, a course shall have the following characteristics:
  • PhD students or specialising post graduate veterinarians from NOVA members are part of the target group.
  • The main teachers should be experts in their fields and at least one of them must be employed by the host university.
  • The host university guarantees the quality of the course by following their internal requirements for PhD-level or post-graduate veterinarian specialisation courses. The course quality can be subject to follow-up from web-based student evaluations using a NOVA template.
  • It is desirable that the course is planned and executed in collaboration between teachers from the host university and other universities, preferably another NOVA member.
  • The pedagogic approach builds upon active participation and engagement by all teachers and students during the course. Commonly, the courses contain a classroom/field/lab module combined with distance education modules, but courses can also be completely online.
  • If the number of seats is limited, visiting students from other NOVA members should be given priority to at least 25% of the seats, if possible.
  • NOVA students do not pay course fees. The hosting university is not obliged to cover expenses for accommodation, food, student travelling and similar expenses.

NOVA members

NOVA the Nordic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network

NOVA Local coordinators

BOVA University Network (BOVA)

NOVA collaborates closely with The Baltic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network, BOVA UN, and encourages course organisers from NOVA to jointly plan courses with colleagues from BOVA universities.

The NOVA Secretariat

The NOVA secretariat is responsible for the administration of NOVA and has secretarial functions for the Board. In 2023-2025, the secretarial functions are held at the Agricultural University of Iceland (LBHI).


NOVA Secretariat:
Lukáš Pospíšil
nova@lbhi.is

The NOVA Student Board

The NOVA Student Board (NSB) is a forum in which students from the NOVA member institutions can work together and carry out discussions.

The Nova Student Board:

 katri.rusanen@uef.fi 

Other Networks

NOVA collaborates closely with The Baltic Forestry, Veterinary and Agricultural University Network (BOVA) and encourages course organisers from NOVA to jointly plan courses with colleagues from BOVA universities.
logo

Knowledge in the field of sustainable use of resources, environment, planning and food production.

Apply for studies

LBHÍ / AUI

Hvanneyri - 311 Borgarbyggð
Phone 433-5000
lbhi@lbhi.is
Kt. 411204-3590
Electronic invoices
Image

Campuses

Hvanneyri
Keldnaholt

Student housing

Shortcuts

Available jobs
Curriculum
Webmail
New students
Academic Calendar

Social media

Image
Image