Fourth Block Seminar [17.04.20]
The 4th block seminar of the AMAIZE-P IRTG with the overall topic "Phosphorus nutrition and recovery" was held in Hohenheim and in Eningen unter Achalm from March 09-16, 2020.
(Photo: Torsten Müller / University of Hohenheim)
The topic of the 4th block seminar was also linked to activities at the University of Hohenheim as part of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Initiative “Science Year 2020 – Bioeconomy”. The number of block seminar participants was almost 60. Seven high-level invited speakers from universities and companies in Germany and the UK gave scientific lectures in Hohenheim for the German and Chinese doctoral candidates. Due to the Covid-19 situation, only those doctoral researchers and scientists from China who had already arrived in Germany before February 2020 were able to attend in person.
(Photo: Torsten Müller / University of Hohenheim)
The presentations by the German and Chinese doctoral candidates and a post-doctoral researcher of the IRTG’s 13 Research Subjects were held on March 10 and 11, 2020 in Eningen unter Achalm (35 km S of Hohenheim). The reports by those Chinese doctoral researchers who were not able to attend in person were presented as pre-recorded PPTs with audio or parallel video files. Vice-versa, the presentations during the 4th block seminar, including those of the invited speakers, were filmed and made available to the colleagues in China as MP4 video files for educational purposes. This arrangement worked very well and has also led to an increase in technological experience which will be beneficial for the future.
Site visits and excursion
The site visits took place at the University of Hohenheim’s Unterer Lindenhof Research Station in Eningen unter Achalm on March 10 and 11, 2020 and included visits to the biorefinery technicum (RS 3.4), the biogas plant and related installations (RS 3.3), as well as the animal feeding experiments with broilers (RS 3.2). A planned visit to the “Alb-Gold” organic pasta company organized by RS 3.1 had to be cancelled at short notice due to the Covid-19 situation.
(Photo: Torsten Müller / University of Hohenheim)
A one-day excursion to the Island of Reichenau in Lake Constance (UNESCO World Heritage site) took place on March 12, 2020. It included a visit to a vegetable-growing company with greenhouse production that is part of the vegetable producers’ cooperative of Reichenau. On the way to Lake Constance, the Lichtenstein Castle on the Swabian Alb was visited, and on the island of Reichenau a guided tour of the ancient cathedral Münster St. Maria und Markus with famous herb garden was organized.
Educational programme
Finally, as part of the educational programme, two workshops on “Diversity in an intercultural context” were organized on March 14 and 16, 2020 for the German and Chinese doctoral researchers in mixed groups with an invited experienced trainer. The educational programme further comprised two special lectures, on Phosphorus, and on the Chemistry behind extraction schemes like Olsen-P, etc., which were made available for download as “spoken PowerPoint presentations” on March 23, 2020.
Despite some organizational challenges, the 4th block seminar has demonstrated the research progress and intensity of cooperation between the first generation of doctoral candidates on both sides after 1½ years of joint collaboration in the AMAIZE-P IRTG.
(Photo: Torsten Müller / University of Hohenheim)
