The University of the Free State visits HSWT

Last week, Prof Dr. habil. Carsten Lorz, Vice President International Affairs and Diversity, together with Juliane Glovania and Christina Hartmann from the project team of the Centre for International Affairs (ZI) , welcomed a dean and a group of professors from the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa.

The delegation learnt about HSWT and its unique expertise in the field of applied life sciences in various presentations. In Weihenstephan, the group visited the Peatland Science Centre, the Applied Science Centre for Smart Indoor Farming and the Food Startup Incubator, among others.

In addition to lectures from the various departments, the guests were also given guided tours of the respective teaching facilities and were thus able to gain an impression of the practical teaching on campus. For example, Katrin Kell gave a guided tour of the perennial garden and the allotment site. Prof Dr Dominikus Kittemann gave a presentation on fruit growing at the Weihenstephan campus. The biotechnology centre was also part of the programme and was presented by Wolfgang Watermeyer. In addition, Prof Dr Sabine Daude presented the Sustainable Agriculture and Energy Systems department during a tour of the associated premises.

In Triesdorf, the guests gained an insight into HSWT's international projects and met the team from the Competence Centre for Digital Agriculture (KoDA) and the Biomass Institute (BIT) at the Innovation Campus.

The week-long visit to Germany served as a prelude to future long-term cooperation between the two universities. Various individual activities are planned, e.g. student and staff exchanges, jointly developed study programmes and much more.

The delegation trip to Weihenstephan and Triesdorf took place as part of a project sponsored by the Bavarian State Chancellery, the African-Bavarian Alliance for Applied Life Sciences. The aim of the African-Bavarian Alliance is to establish a network between HSWT and partner institutions - from higher education, the public sector and the private sector - in Bavaria's African focus countries (Ethiopia, Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa).

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