Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and BOKU University (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria) have signed a new Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreement covering the 2026-2027 academic years. The partnership supports international mobility for students and faculty through the European Union's Erasmus+ KA171 program.
Under the agreement, the universities will continue collaborating on academic exchange opportunities, with a focus on agriculture and life sciences. The plan includes student and faculty mobility between the institutions.
The agreement emphasizes support for participants from diverse backgrounds and ensures academic credit recognition and comprehensive support services such as housing assistance, language preparation, visa guidance, and accessibility resources.
As an important step in the partnership, Laurens van der Giessen, a Ph.D. student at BOKU University, is spending the Fall 2026 semester at Iowa State University from August through November as the inaugural Erasmus+ exchange student under this collaboration. Dr. Maria Wurzinger, a professor in the Department of Animal Science, is hosting Laurens at Iowa State University.
Laurens' academic journey reflects the strong global connections fostered by Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Laurens earned his bachelor's degree from Wageningen University & Research, a longtime CALS partner institution, before completing his master's degree at BOKU, where he is now pursuing his doctorate. He also participated in the 2026 Next Generation Institute, a professional development workshop focused on designing and managing sustainable rural livelihoods. The program, organized by the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in CALS, was held at the Mpirigiti Rural Training Centre in Uganda. Laurens' experience exemplifies the interconnected network of international partnerships.
For more information and opportunities to get involved, please contact Jodi Cornell, Director of Study Abroad in the Office for Global Engagement at jcornell@iastate.edu .