2nd Study trip in Germany [23.03.17]
The second study trip for the developers of the SARUD Master`s program took place from the 27th February until 10th of March
Two representatives per institution from Omsk State Agrarian University named after P.A. Stolypin, Michurinsk State Agrarian University, Buryat State Academy of Agriculture named after V.R.Philippov (Ulan-Ude), S.Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University (Astana), A.Baitursynov Kostanay State University and Sh.Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University, as well as one representative from Novosibirsk State Agrarian University took actively part in the two-weeks study trip within a framework of SARUD project.
The activities started in Stuttgart at the University of Hohenheim (the SARUD project coordinator) with the expert talks on study programs development, management in agri-enterprises, conservation biology, methods in landscape and plant ecology, and others. During the meetings with Prof. Dr. Dieterich (SARUD project coordinator, Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology), Prof. Dr. Birner (Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics), Prof. Dr. Zebitz (Institute of Phytomedicine), Prof. Dr. Doluschitz (Institute of Farm Management), Prof. Dr. Schmieder (Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology), and Dr. Zimmermann (Institute of Farm Management). The Russian and Kazakh specialists had an opportunity to learn from the experience of their German colleagues. Besides, the participants visited the experimental stations of Hohenheim (Meiereihof), where Mr. von Schmettow presented the research projects successfully implemented and currently running at the station, as well as explained their role and activities on involvement in the practice-oriented teaching process, which was one of the core issues for the study trip participants.
On the first day of spring, the group moved to Nürtingen, which is located in a few kilometers from Stuttgart. There Prof. Dr. Schuele introduced the Masters course on “Sustainable agricultural and nutrition economics” elaborated by the Nürtingen-Geislingen University (HfWU). The participants could also get acquainted with the teaching and research institutes of the university, as well as the prerequisites and approaches of the HfWU for practice-oriented learning and application-oriented research. In addition to that, the agenda included the project examples of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (E. Fetzer), and the practical training elements and internship organization (Prof. Dr. Stoll). The cooperation with the practice, state agencies and institutions were visualized during the visit of DEULA Baden-Württemberg GmbH in Kirchheim Teck, which is one of the HfWU´s cooperation partners.
The programme continued with the excursions to the Biosphere reserve and biosphere center „Schwäbische Alb“, including the local farms on lentils (Alb-Feldfrüchte) and buffalo (Albbüffel) production. After that, the group had an opportunity to visit the Agricultural Center for Knowledge and Education Aulendorf (LAZBW), where they got insights about the grasslands management (Prof. Dr. Elsaesser) and wildlife biology (Dr. Arnold) issues, as well as got introduced with the example on sustainable agriculture projects in the state of Baden-Württemberg and European funding schemes for agri-environmental measures presented by the State Agricultural Service Ravensburg (A. Siegel). At the end of the trip the participants visited the mostery Keßler in Horgenzell.
As the methodological support for the study trip served the three-day didactic training implemented by the Agency for Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas of the Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg (LEL) at its premises. The training covered practice and action oriented teaching, facilitation methods and approaches for project work planning and conduction. All participants were involved in the interactive activities aimed at learning approaches and methods for facilitating learning situations, improving an overview and planning skills for curricula development and didactic methods to be used in teaching the SARUD modules. The trainees additionally had an opportunity to exchange their experience in the ongoing development of the study program. The stay at the LEL was finalized by the introduction of the activities of the Agency made by the heads of four departments: Education and Consulting (Mr. Kaesser), Sustainable Enterprise Development (Dr. Segger), Rural Development and Agriculture (Mr. Großkopf), Agricultural Markets and Nutrition (Mr. Riester). The group got familiar with the projects realized by the Association on the landscape management and conservation Ostalbkreis e.V. in Aalen and learned about the principles of the regional products marketing implemented by the Association of marketing and merchandising for agricultural and forestry products from Baden-Württemberg (MBW, presented to the guests by Dr. Wirsig, the head of the association.
Feedback and evaluation round summarized the two-week trip. The inspired participants of the study trip are due to disseminate the gained knowledge to colleagues in their home universities and also implement the experience in the newly elaborated study programmes.
