Third Block Seminar of the 2nd Generation [23.11.22]
The third block seminar of the 2nd generation of IRTG AMAIZE-P (post-)doctoral researchers was held at the University of Hohenheim and the China Agricultural University (CAU) from November 07-11, 2022, in hybrid format.
(Photo: Béatrice Reh / University of Hohenheim)
The overall topic of the 3rd block seminar of the 2nd generation was “P Management at Field and Farm Level” and covered the topics of Subject Area (SA) 2. The presentations (progress reports) by the (post-)doctoral researchers on the German and Chinese sides were held on 07 and 10 November 2022. Five high-level invited speakers from universities and research academies in Australia, China, Germany and the USA were invited to give scientific lectures on 08 and 10 November, with three of these held in presence in Hohenheim, and the other two remotely from China.
(Photo: Torsten Müller, University of Hohenheim)
The block seminar was held in presence in a lecture hall at the University of Hohenheim and in the “balcony hall” of Hohenheim Palace, as well as in a lecture hall at the CAU, connected live via an online platform. The total number of participants was approx. 60 on the German and the Chinese side, respectively. Hereof, up to 24 online participants were simultaneously counted. This 3rd block seminar continued the hybrid format which had been established during the preceding block seminars. The online presentations and lectures were recorded via the online platform’s recording function, and the resulting MP4 video files made available for educational purposes (upon request for IRTG AMAIZE-P members only).
Educational programme
An interactive educational session on “Successful PhD studies require effective advisor interactions” was given by Prof. Dr. Susanne Schmidt from the University of Queensland in Australia on the fifth day of the block seminar (11 November). The session was in presence for the PhD students on the German side, while the Chinese PhD students actively participated in a lecture hall at the CAU, connected via the online platform. The session was very well received and the written wrap up was provided to all participants.
(Photo: Daniel Wanke / University of Hohenheim)
Finally, a feedback session (hybid) with the German and Chinese doctoral researchers, with very active participation from both sides, took place before the Closing ceremony of the 3rd block seminar.
As extra educational programme, a 1-day presence workshop on “Equal Opportunities, Self-Reflection and Career Development” was organized on 27 October 2022 for the (post-)doctoral researchers of the 2nd generation on the German side, as part of the Gender Equality Measures in the IRTG AMAIZE-P. The workshop was held by two experienced trainers, Ms. Brigitte Ott-Goebel and Ms. Elke-Maria Rosenbusch and is being followed by individual coaching sessions (in presence or online) (see separate item).
Excursion
The one-day excursion during the 3rd block seminar took place on 09 November 2022 and went to the Swabian Alb region, S of Stuttgart. A total of 26 persons participated. In the morning, the Experimental Station “Oberer Lindenhof” of the University of Hohenheim near Eningen unter Achalm was visited. The station head, Mr. Tobias Konrad, gave a general introduction of the station, the cropping systems and ongoing experimental work. This was followed by an on-site visit of the field experiments carried out on three field plots during the past two years by doctoral researchers from RS 2.1 and 2.2. Two of the plots display very low available P contents (CAL method) (Class A in German classification system), with P deficiency symptoms clearly visible in young maize plants in 2020 (see cover photo of 3rd block seminar programme).
(Photo: Mingjie He / University of Hohenheim)
Next was a guided visit of the pasta company ALB-GOLD in Trochtelfingen. Via a newly-opened high-level visitors’ walk, all production facilities could be seen. The company partly uses local raw materials such as the old cereal spelt (Dinkel), and partly organic materials for its products. This was followed by a lunch at the company Restaurant “Sonne”, with selected dished prepared from their products, and a visit to the company store.
In the afternoon, a guided visit of the 19th-century romanticism neo-Gothic style Lichtenstein Castle took place. It was erected in 1840-42 on ruins of a 14th-century knights’ castle, on a free-standing, rocky promontory of Jurassic limestone at the edge of the Swabian Alb.
(Photo: Usha Ladha / UC Davis)
An Advisory Board meeting, including the German and Chinese Principle Investigators (PIs) and Senior Researchers of the IRTG AMAIZE-P was held (in hybrid format) as first session on 11 November, 2022. It started with a short briefing of all participants by the Spokesperson on the German and the Scientific Coordinator on the Chinese side, respectively, on the successful outcome of the renewal proposal application and the granting of the second funding period of the IRTG AMAIZE-P by the DFG.
(Photo: Torsten Müller, University of Hohenheim)
