Abstract:

This trans-disciplinary study clearly addresses the effects of higher education on the development of the clusters specialized on food taking into account energy and water resources during the European Union Horizon 2020 Project called CLUSDEV, which aims to create the condition for the reinforcement of the existing clusters in the Mediterranean Area, with the support of other EU expertise and policies, and with the aim to bridge the distance among different stakeholders with the same objectives, and to find a way to create a common approach to solve the food-water-energy optimization. Additionally, the project is funded by the European Union with the contribution EUR 796,500 under the Horizon 2020 Program, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)- in which agribusiness from the agro-food, food security, energy, and water perspective are analyzed. With the contribution of the Roma Tre University (Italy), Istanbul University Technology Park (Turkey), Utrecht University, DARE Puglia Agriculture Technology District (Italy), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania), and REDINN European Innovation Consultancy Company (Italy). As the areas of interest in this project are e-Learning, Educational Technology, Green Technology, affordable and healthy food, energy efficiency and renewable energy, water reuse and wastewater treatment, the perspectives of the Turkish experts are taken into account in order to analyze the effects of higher education on the development of the clusters specialized on food taking into account energy and water resources.

The qualitative research studies had been decided to perform to comprehend ‘how’ the effects of higher education on the development of the clusters specialized on food taking into account energy and water resources by working together with the related Turkish experts (32) in these areas. By using semi-structured interviews, the quantitative data were collected and analyzed under NVivo system.

According to the data collected and analyzed, as the participants had mentioned that there were unbalanced involvement of the higher education institutions in the development of the clusters specialized on food taking into account energy and water resources, particularly comparing to Italy, Netherland, and France. As almost all the experts (98%) had mentioned that e-Learning given by the universities was not definitely enough in Turkey. Comparing to Netherland and Italy, the opportunities of the Educational Technology and Green Technology supported by the higher education in Turkey to develop affordable and healthy food was not sufficient (94%). As the experts had clarified that they needed energy efficiency, renewable energy, water reuse, and wastewater treatment knowledge supported and developed by the higher education in Turkey. As it is seen in the other Mediterranean region countries, they needed more efficient and effective system supported by the universities particularly in the Marmara, North Black Sea, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions in which food diversity was really very high and qualified.

As a result, as the data of this trans-disciplinary study showed that the correlated departments of the higher education institutions should ask help from local governments and ministries to develop strategic clusters specialized on food which could be exported while creating economic competitiveness and environmental benefits.

Keywords:

Higher Education, Universities, Clusters, Food Clusters, e-learning, Educational Technology, Green Technology, Healthy Food, Renewable Energy.