BECY Summer School 2017

This year’s Summer School took place from 4 - 22 September. Students from BECY partner universities in Brazil, Mexico and Canada participated as well as Hohenheim students and students from Russian and Ukrainian universities. In total, the group of 18 people was composed of more than 10 nationalities.

The first two weeks of the program were spent on campus. In lectures, group work and practical exercises, students learned about bioenergy, national systems of bioeconomics, applied bioeconomy and food science. At the end of the first week there were also workshops in the meat and dairy laboratories where the group joined the production of sausages, mozzarella cheese and ice cream.

Another highlight of this year’s Summer School was the second international Bioeconomy Congress which took place at the University of Hohenheim from 12 - 13 September. Summer School participants attended the congress as listeners and gained deeper insight into bioeconomy’s wide range of topics. Moreover, professors from BECY partner universities came to Hohenheim to attend the congress and to hold the lectures of this week.

Traditionally, the last week of Summer School took place at the university’s research station “Ihinger Hof”. Lectures were dedicated to the topics biogas, biomass crops as well as socio-economic impacts of bioeconomy. There was also an excursion to the research station “Unterer Lindenhof” where the group visited the university’s pig farm and biogas plant.

As in the previous years, the feedback was all positive. Due to the different academic and national backgrounds, the thematic diversity and a relaxed atmosphere, participants and lecturers likewise took advantage of professional as well as intercultural exchange.

Within the scope of the DAAD initiative „Study in Germany – Land of Ideas“, Giovanna da Silva Rocha, a participant from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), wrote a blog about her experiences during the Summer School: Day 1 and 2 | Day 5 and 6 | Day 7 and 9 | Day 10 and 11 | Last Week

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