A one-week summer school (24th to 30th September 2018) on cover materials took place at the University of Thessaly (UTH) in Volos, Greece. Both universities are part of the ZuGAbe-cooperation.
The summer school was a big success with more than 40 Greek and German students participating. It was free of charge for all participants, but eight students and doctoral students received ZuGAbe-scholoraships. 14 experts on greenhouse cultivation from industry and science gave talks on various aspects of cover materials and accompanied the participants on visits of Greek greenhouses.
Apart from that „capacity building workshops”, for example on academic writing and publishing were offered as well. The summer school also included a diverse evening program and cultural events. „The students enthusiastic commitment throughout the entire week, the lively discussions during and after the talks as well as the participants positive feedback – all of that showed the event‘s success. I really hope next year’s ZuGAbe summer school at Hochschule Geisenheim University will be just as successful“, said Dr. Evelyn Dimkou, who is responsible for organizing the summer school in Geisenheim.
“The summer school was a great opportunity to meet a sharp group of professionals, interested in sharing their knowledge with us! I took so much out of it, it was the perfect combination of vacation and school. I can only recommend it and I’m really looking forward to next year’s summer school in Geisenheim” added Ruven Gierholz, student of horticulture at Hochschule Geisenheim University. Denissa Avdouli, Bachelor student of agricultural sciences at UTH was very positive: “This year’s summer school was amazing! The people invited talked about a wide range of topics that highlighted the potential greenhouse technology holds. The overall experience was splendid. I totally recommend people who are interested in the field to attend it!”.
The ZuGAbe project – productivity, sustainability and environmental compatibility of protected greenhouse cultivation – is a bilateral teaching and research cooperation between Hochschule Geisenheim University and the UTH. The cooperation includes aspects of protected cultivation and the initiation of exchange programs, scholarships, guest lectures, workshops and summer schools. The three-year project is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and funded by the federal foreign office. Project manager is Dr. Johannes Max from the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition at Hochschule Geisenheim University. On behalf of the Greek Prof. Nikolaos Katsoulas from the Department for Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment at UTH is responsible for the project. Dr. Evelyn Dimkou from the Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition at Hochschule Geisenheim University coordinates the project.
