Russian public bodies such as ministries, oblast administration and other authorities have a lack of knowledge in the sector of ecology and rural development. This lack of knowledge is increasingly growing due to the complexity of ecological relevant topics and the extremely weak interdepartmental approach in the sphere of environmental protection. Due to that gap employees of public bodies working in the field of ecology and rural development have to be trained to be able to implement sucessfully and efficiently sustainable rural development concepts focussing on ecology .The aim of the project is to establish a vocational training system in the sector of ecology and rural development especially at different agricultural universities in Russia. HEI will be enabled to gain higher qualifications through the conception and elaboration of modules as well as to train representatives of public authorities via vocational training performed by already trained teachers. Together with the national Ministry of Agriculture and different public bodies on the regional and local level project partners form an optimal mixture to achieve the project objectives, supported by European Higher Education and public Institutions from different countries.The long lasting aim of the project is to offer that vocational training program by each Russian project partner university at the end of the project. The vocational training consists of 12 modules offering a deeper understanding of ecology and sustainable rural development and providing skills to improve the ability of institution to manage and lead the development as well as the higher education reform. 12 local working groups (LWGs) at 11 Russian universities will develop and elaborate one module each in close cooperation with EU experts. Within the LWGs intensive discussions on the elaboration, structure and on priority contents of the modules will take place. During National Platform Meetings (NWP) and Plenary Meetings a wider audience and all project partners will be informed on the project progress and valuable recommendations can be included during next project steps. In order to upgrade their knowledge Russian teachers will visit EU universities and their partner institutions for 2 months. At the end of the study trips didactical seminars will be carried out to provide the teachers with new didactical skills. Back in Russia the teachers transferring their knowledge during the LWG and NWP meetings for fine-tuning the module development. 12 Module performances take place as a kind of pioneer vocational training adressing representatives of public authorities in Russian regions. Evaluation of modules and teachers as well as peer review of to-be-published teaching materials will be carried out supported by EU experts.Through the rise of qualification of regional administration in Russia employees will be able to raise their competence and to establish an interdepartmental dialog in solving complex ecological problems at the regional level. The selection of russian project partners ensure an objective understanding of closing the gap of knowledge on national level as well as the selection of EU partners ensure a professional expert monitoring of the development of the vocational training program.