Fifth Block Seminar (online) [30.11.20]
The 5th block seminar of the IRTG AMAIZE-P with the overall topic “Economic Evaluation and Synthesis”, was concomitantly held at the China Agricultural University (CAU) and the University of Hohenheim from November 09-13, 2020.
(Photo: Ms. Ruotong Si / CAU)
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this block seminar was organized largely as an online event. Only the doctoral reserchers’ progress reports were delivered in person, mostly in a lecture hall at the CAU (in plenary session) as well as from a research station in Hebei Province on the Chinese side, and in a lecture hall in Hohenheim (without audience) on the German side.
The total number of participants was 100. Six high-level invited speakers from universities and research institutions in China, Germany and Norway gave live online scientific lectures for the German and Chinese doctoral candidates and scientists. The presentations by the German and Chinese doctoral candidates and by two post-doctoral researchers of the IRTG’s 13 Research Subjects were held on November 10, 11 and 12, 2020. Each Research Subject had prepared one joint PowerPoint file which was then given as a single presentation by the doctoral researchers in Germany and China. Pre-recorded PPTs with audio or parallel video files were prepared as back-up, but only used in two cases.
(Screenshot of video by Mr. B. Weishhaar)
An online meeting of all Chinese and German principle investigators (PIs) and senior scientists in the IRTG AMAIZE-P was held on November 13, 2020.
The recently upgraded online conference technology in the lecture hall at the University of Hohenheim (as meeting host) worked very well. During the 5th block seminar all online presentations by the invited speakers as well as the doctoral researchers’ progress reports including discussion were recorded via the online platform’s recording function. The MP4 video files are made available for educational purposes upon request for IRTG AMAIZE-P members only. This block seminar format has also established itself as a blueprint for further online or hybrid events, including bilateral meetings between German and Chinese Research Subject partners in the future.
(Photo: Ms. Ruotong Si / CAU)
Site visits and excursion
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no site visits and excursions were organized during the 5th block seminar.
Educational programme
As educational programme, a presence workshop on “Diversity and Career Development” was organized on October 26, 2020 for the doctoral candidates at the University of Hohenheim. A total of 17 doctoral researchers participated in the whole-day event with two invited experienced trainers. The presence workshop is being followed by individual coaching sessions (online or presence), and finally by a half-day follow-up and transfer event with all doctoral researchers (online).
The 5th block seminar has highlighted the advances in joint research amongst the first generation of doctoral candidates on both sides despite some temporal delays due to the Covid-19-induced lockdowns in China and Germany. It has also proven the resilience and flexibility of the IRTG as a whole when facing new challenges due to the constantly evolving situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
(Photo: Ms. Ruotong Si / CAU)
