Two Appalachian State University professors recently received a grant from a joint program between the United States and the European Union to create a degree track in wine science. Four institutions will be involved in the program.
The grant program is a venture between the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and the European Union’s Directorate General for Education and Culture. It attempts to create dual degree programs among universities in the United States and Europe.
Grant Holder and Lucian Georgescu of Appalachian State were awarded a $65,000 grant from the European Union-United States Atlantic Program. Holder and Georgescu are professors in Appalachian State’s viticulture and enology program. Once the program is fully implemented it would create transatlantic degrees and dual recognition of degrees and credits. There also could be exchanges among students and professors.
Appalachian State was one of seven programs to receive funding, which will last for two years.
The first step in the program will be to create a consortium between institutions in the United States and Europe, according to Holder. The consortium will be charged with developing a joint curriculum. Schools in the consortium are Appalachian State, the University of Udine in Italy, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 in France, and Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal.
The three European institutions also each received $65,000 in funding. Appalachian State’s grant receipt was higher than the typical $50,000 that is awarded through the program, according to a press release.
“Each of the regions represented by these countries have distinctive styles of production and a long history and tradition of agricultural production from which our students will benefit,” Holder said. “Appalachian students will have the opportunity to perform parts of their education in the great winemaking regions of Europe.”
Holder said that working with the consortium and institutions from Europe would help “create highly competitive graduates and a workforce with greater regional economic impact.”
Shannon Blosser is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.