The consortium consists of: University of Helsinki (Finland), University of Tartu (Estonia), Academic Association of Russian Universities in hydrometeorology and Russian State Hydrometeorological University (both Russia). These institutions have old traditions in training of meteorologists.

The University of Helsinki (UH) is the grant applicant institution. It is represented by Division of Atmospheric Sciences within the Department of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science. The Division is a large unit (~50 persons) including meteorology and other environmental sciences. It consists of the three groups: meteorological modelling (Prof. Hannu Savijarvi), aerosol research (Prof. Markku Kulmala) and forest-air micrometeorology (Prof. Timo Vesala) and hosts the Marie Curie Chair of boundary-layer physics (Prof. Sergej Zilitinkevich). These groups  perform measurements of atmospheric aerosol and chemistry; and investigate their climate and health effects, surface fluxes and exchange processes between ecosystems and atmosphere including greenhouse gas budgets and carbon sinks. The basic experimental resources consist of two field stations: SMEAR I (Lapland) and SMEAR II (Southern Finland).

The University of Tartu (UT) has recent experience in transition from the Soviet time higher education system to the European curricula according to the Bologna Declaration. Now the Institute of Environmental Physics (IEP) of the University of Tartu has B.Sc. (3 nominal years), M.Sc. (2 years) and Ph.D. (4 years) programmes, consisting mainly of courses on physical meteorology and its applications in environmental sciences. Close distance (300km) from St. Petersburg and skills in Russian language make it easy to communicate with RSHU and exchange practical knowledge. The IEP (total staff 26 persons, 17 of them with scientific degree) includes two main research branches: (1) atmospheric dynamics and (2) aerosol physics. The first one develops a non-hydrostatic kernel and relevant parameterisations for the meso-scale meteorological model HIRLAM. The branch of aerosol physics carries out theoretical research in formation and dynamics of atmospheric aerosols and precision measurements of aerosol and air ion spectra, and develops devices for these measurements.

In that connection the institute collaborates with University of Helsinki, University of Minnesota and Thermo Systems Inc. This experience and knowledge is used for teaching at UT, especially in postgraduate studies at M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels and will be transferred for teaching at RSHU.

The Academic Association of Russian Universities in hydrometeorology (AAU) is the body with the status of state public organization that is authorized by the Ministry of Education and Science to set state standards in that area of education and training in form of the minimum curricular composition, faculty size, and facility availability. Apart from RSHU, 11 universities in Russia are members of AAU: St. Petersburg State University, Kazan State University, Perm' State University, Tomsk State University, Irkutsk State University, Far-east State University (Vladivostok), Saratov State University, Mozhaisky Military-Space Academy (St. Petersburg), Frunze Higher Navy School (St. Petersburg), Voronezh Higher Aviation Engineering School, Makarov State Maritime Academy (St. Petersburg). Participation of the AAU as a partner in the project ensures the maximum possible impact of the project, as all the Russian universities teaching meteorology take part in the project, and at the same time the consortium remains easy manageable.

The Russian State Hydrometeorological University (RSHU) is the key higher education centre in Russia in the area of hydrometeorology. Over a long period the main aim of RSHU (formed in 1930) was to train personnel in the fields of meteorology, hydrology and oceanology. Lately it has started training specialists in allied fields, such as ecology and economics. The University has five faculties: of Meteorology, Hydrology, Oceanology, Ecology and Environmental Physics, Economics and Humanities which offer a wide range of training programmes. The RSHU presides over the Academic Association of Russian Universities in hydrometeorology (AAU). Virtually all higher educational programs and curricula in meteorology used by various universities in the Russian Federation are normally developed and/or authorized by the RSHU. That also means that the RSHU must be the first university in Russia to face the challenge of reforming the higher education in the area of meteorology to meet the requirements set by the Bologna process.

The University of Helsinki (UH) provides education in meteorology within the two-level system: Bachelor/Masters. The University of Tartu (UT) has recent experience in transition from the Soviet time higher education system to the European curricula according to the Bologna Declaration. RSHU and members of the AAU educate specialists within the one-level system. Therefore the transfer of settled experience of the University of Helsinki to RSHU and AAU and of the fresh experience of the University of Tartu to RSHU and AAU is seen to be urgent. Advanced teaching and research level in meteorology at UH and UT make the partnership even more profitable for the target universities, RSHU and AAU.

The universities of the consortium are united also geographically. They (UH, UT, RSHU and 4 of 11 members of AAU) are located within one geographical object - on the shores of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Agreed and mutually recognised competency based curricula in meteorology in perspective will let better address regional problems, common for all the countries, represented in the consortium.

The consortium members have a long history of relations. Formal agreements on cooperation exist between RSHU and the University of Helsinki, between the Universities of Helsinki and Tartu.

Student and staff mobility is being developed according to these agreements.

Three external experts are invited to participate in the project. They are the heads of hydrometeorological services of Estonia and Northwest Russia and an authoritative representative of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The hydrometeorological services are among the main ‘end-users’ of graduates in meteorology. The ECMWF is an independent international organisation supported by 26 European States, working on development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting and preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts. Also the ECMWF assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation and provides advanced training in the field of numerical weather prediction. Role of the experts will be to assess syllabi that will be developed according to new competency-based two-level curricula in meteorology and used for teaching at RSHU and universities members of AAU.