Insect life, studied by an academic alliance

The University of Oradea, as a member of the EU GREEN academic alliance, is part of a unique project dedicated to insect life in the natural environment, in cities and on campuses, called "Insectopia'. According to the institution, "Insectopia' is a symbolic project of the alliance, important for the common commitment to ecological reconstruction, responsible environmental management and for the promotion of biodiversity on university campuses and beyond. The initiative of the European EU GREEN alliance was designed to implement, on university campuses, areas favorable to insect life, called "insect utopias'. These would be inspirational models and educational tools for biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, awareness of the importance of the existence of insects in the natural and urban environment, as well as environmental sustainability on university campuses. Through activities such as: webinars with experts, participatory workshops and a call for initiatives, "Insectopia' aims to actively involve students, as well as university staff and local communities in creating sustainable habitats, ecological projects - such as "hotels' for insects and gardens for pollinators - or other creative initiatives.

"What we call insect hotels are man-made structures, with different shapes, usually made of natural materials: straw, wood, leaves and serve as wintering grounds for insects', explains prof. univ. dr habil. Diana Cupşa, director of the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Sciences. The "Insectopia' project will be carried out in several stages, the first of which will be dedicated to the exchange of knowledge through a series of webinars supported by experts from EU GREEN member universities, among which will, of course, also be teaching staff from the University of Oradea. These webinars will provide participants with opportunities to explore innovative ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. In its next phase, "Insectopia' will launch a call for proposals, inviting teams from the nine member universities to submit project ideas that align with the initiative's objectives. The call will be open in February and March 2025. The selected projects will be announced on World Bee Day, 20 May 2025, and the winning teams will be invited to take part in a retreat and hackathon in Jarandilla de la Vera, Spain. The project dedicated to insect life in cities will continue to develop through new webinars and additional activities, based on a long-term commitment to ensure the sustainability of the project and strengthen it as a dynamic platform for innovation, knowledge exchange and ecological action.

The University of Oradea is part of the EU GREEN Alliance, which brings together nine medium-sized universities located in peripheral regions of the European continent, anchored at the regional level, but with a global orientation.