International DAAD Alumni Seminar on Global Food Security
A total of 25 alumni from 14 different countries took part in the seminar “Food Security Increase by Precision Agriculture”. The seminar was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and took place from the 6th to the 13th of November 2017 at the University of Göttingen, at the Institute of Sugar Beet Research. During this event, the participants discussed whether precision agriculture can be a key to ensuring global food security.
The basic concept of this specialist alumni project is to support alumni from developing countries through continuing education, knowledge exchange and the formation of international networks. Participants should be involved in research and development both in their countries of origin and internationally. Networking is therefore the clear objective of this event for international knowledge transfer and cooperation.
The divisions of Agricultural Engineering (Head: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Beneke) and Quality of Plant Products (Head: Prof. Dr. Elke Pawelzik) of the Department of Crop Sciences of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Göttingen as well as the Institute for Sugar Beet Research (IfZ, Head: Prof. Dr. Bernward Märländer und PD Dr. Anne-Katrin Mahlein) were responsible for organisation and implementation. In addition to the technical participation of the organisers, the seminar was supported by numerous external expert contributions. The programme included an excursion to the Clauen sugar factory of Nordzucker AG, as well as technical presentations by
- Luge K & S Land-, Kommunal- und Forsttechnik GmbH,
- CiS GmbH and
- H. Matthes.
In addition to the theoretical training and various workshops, selected examples of Precision Farming were demonstrated in practice, e.g. agricultural sensors and UAV applications. During the course of the seminar, a platform for many discussions and the exchange of knowledge on their own research results were offered to the 25 participants.
The programme included not only training and further education, but also a cultural programme in Göttingen. The alumni took part in a guided city tour and visited the historical buildings of the University Library as well as the Historical Observatory.
After completing the one-week seminar in Göttingen, the alumni travelled on to Hanover for a joint visit to the world’s leading trade fair for agricultural technology, the Agritechnica. In Hanover, the participants were expected to attend another one-week programme under the auspices of the DAAD and supervised by the Agricultural Engineering Division. As a kick-off for the Agritechnica week the DLG welcomed the participants and informed them about DLG’s work.
Contact:
Martin Schweigel
Department of Crop Sciences
Division of Agricultural Engineering
Tel.: +49 (0)551/39-25539
E-Mail: martin.schweigel@uni-goettingen.de
