This master will provide experience in all areas of catalysis to propose more efficient alternatives, taking advantage of the expertise in homogeneous catalysis of the URV, heterogeneous catalysis of the University of Poitiers, and biocatalysis of the University of Aveiro

Rovira i Virgili University is one of the three European universities that will teach the Erasmus Mundus Sustainable Catalysis Master (SuCat) together with the University of Poitiers (France), which is the coordinator, and the University of Aveiro (Portugal). This was approved by the European Commission last September within the Erasmus + program. Other universities are participating as collaborating entities, such as McGill in Montreal (Canada), Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (Brazil); research centers such as IFPEN (France) or RAIZ (Portugal), and companies such as Adisseo, Clariant, L’Oreal and Solvay.

The Erasmus Mundus SuCat joint master’s degree is scheduled to start in September 2021 and lasts for two years. The goal of the training program is to provide experience in all areas of catalysis (homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzymatic) within sustainable chemistry, taking advantage of the high level of expertise in homogeneous catalysis of the URV, heterogeneous catalysis of the University of Poitiers, and biocatalysis of the University of Aveiro. This program explores the extent to which chemistry can contribute to a sustainable global society, identify critical aspects, and propose more efficient alternatives.

Students enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus program who follow the specialty of Homogeneous Catalysis, will study the second year at the URV to follow the master’s degree Synthesis, Catalysis and Molecular Design, which is developed at the Faculty of Chemistry in collaboration with the ICIQ, and that in addition to being accredited with excellence, has the accreditation of the excellent teaching-research interaction. These students will obtain the URV degree, the University of Poitiers degree and the Erasmus Mundus certificate from the three universities in the consortium.

The funding, worth two million euros over 5 years, will be used mainly for the mobility of students and faculty between the universities of the consortium and the collaborating entities.

The coordinator of the master is professor Josep Manel Ricart (master.catalysis@urv.cat).