The uniqueness of the collaboration between the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and the College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM) in Mweka (Kilimanjaro), within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA171 programme, lies in its markedly exceptional character, which transcends the boundaries of conventional academic mobility. It represents a highly specialized transfer of expert knowledge and professional expertise within a global context, while simultaneously constituting one of the key outcomes of an international partnership that Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra has been developing with Tanzania in a systematic and sustained manner.

This collaboration was initiated by the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Dr. h. c. prof. RNDr. František Petrovič, PhD., MBA, who, in close cooperation with the institutional Erasmus+ coordinator (Vice-Rector for International Relations), Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Martina Pavlíková, PhD., MBA, conceptually designed and effectively established its framework. The implementation has deliberately involved experts in ecology and environmental studies—core disciplinary areas for which this type of international cooperation under the Erasmus+ KA171 project (Sub-Saharan Africa – Tanzania) was approved, and which, through their specific academic orientation, make a substantial contribution to the fulfilment of the programme’s objectives.

The fact that the collaboration between the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and the College of African Wildlife Management in Tanzania is currently carried out at the level of staff academic mobility in no way diminishes its significance—on the contrary, it underscores its distinctly strategic character. Within the context of the contemporary academic environment, it represents a systematic effort to lay the foundations for the emergence of a global network of experts and for the transfer of knowledge across both geographical and cultural boundaries.

The exchange of academic staff and specialists between UKF and its partner institution in Mweka does not merely consist in the delivery of lecture-based visits; rather, it constitutes a process of harmonizing pedagogical approaches, methodologies, and professional standards. The exceptional nature of this collaboration resides in its unique character: while the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics provides a coherent scientific-methodological foundation and theoretical framework, the partner institution contributes authentic, practice-based experience in the management and conservation of natural areas under the specific conditions of Sub-Saharan Africa.

A significant dimension of the outcomes of this international cooperation is also reflected in the effective implementation of the UNESCO MAB Programme (Man and the Biosphere), an intergovernmental scientific initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), aimed at deepening the relationship between humans and the natural environment through research, biodiversity conservation, and the promotion of sustainable development principles.

This implementation is professionally led by Mgr. Veronika Piscová, PhD., of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, who is actively involved in the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, particularly at the level of expert and scientific collaboration, as well as within its national and international structures. She is a member of the Slovak MAB UNESCO Committee and simultaneously participates in the brainstorming group of the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves in the Europe and North America section. Her engagement further extends to participation in international expert events of the MAB Programme, such as the EuroMAB conference, which brings together representatives of biosphere reserves, national committees, and experts from dozens of countries. Overall, her professional activity may be characterized as an interdisciplinary nexus of scientific research, international expert collaboration, and active participation in the institutional structures of the UNESCO MAB Programme.

In this context, the integration of the UNESCO MAB Programme into the international cooperation between Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and Tanzania introduces internationally recognized frameworks that ensure alignment with global standards of sustainable development and nature conservation. The Poľana Biosphere Reserve serves as a living laboratory in which participants are able to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world conditions, observe integrated biodiversity conservation involving local communities, and acquire practical insights into ecosystem management. Moreover, the MAB network enhances the programme’s international visibility, credibility, and potential for broader cooperation. Overall, its involvement strengthens the partnership by interlinking theory, practice, and global principles of environmental protection, thereby rendering the Erasmus+ KA171 programme more relevant, impactful, and applicable to real-world conservation challenges.

At the same time, international cooperation of this nature carries a pronounced diplomatic dimension. Under the auspices of the Slovak MAB UNESCO Committee, relations are being strengthened between the Slovak State Nature Conservancy and the management structures of Tanzanian biosphere reserves. In this regard, staff members of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra act as ambassadors of Slovak science within these globally unique territories, where biodiversity conservation intersects with sustainable development.

This phase represents an advanced stage of cooperation, characterized by direct field-based collaboration between academic staff, particularly within the Poľana Biosphere Reserve and the East Usambara Biosphere Reserve. The objective of these interactions is the development of high-quality international study programmes, with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics occupying a unique position within the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere network to assume a leading role in this initiative.

The College of African Wildlife Management (CAWM) in Mweka has become an important international partner within the emerging MAB UNESCO research and educational network for Slovakia. The linkage between the academic environment of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and this leading African institution facilitates a direct exchange of expertise in the management of biosphere reserves. This cooperation provides Slovak researchers and professionals with valuable practical experience in tropical ecosystems, while Mweka College benefits from engagement with European scientific methodologies and research approaches.

Cooperation with Tanzania significantly reinforces the position of our University as an international institution capable of building academic and professional capacities on a global scale, while simultaneously representing a concrete realization of the objectives of the Erasmus+ programme, oriented toward the promotion of the internationalization of education, the development of scientific research collaboration, and the transfer of knowledge across geographical and cultural boundaries.

Within this context, the Erasmus+ KA171 grant scheme emerges as a comprehensive instrument fostering the integration of education, science, and global research, thereby contributing to the formation of an innovative, inclusive, and internationally interconnected academic environment.

Text: International Relation Office, Dr. Veronika Piscova – Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, UKF, MAB UNESCO, Dr. Gabriel Mayengo – MWEKA, Tanzania
Photos: Dr. Veronika Piscová

Published: April 7, 2026