P000125, Transdisciplinära strategier för naturbaserade produkter: främjande av hållbart jordbruk med fokus på den globala södern, 3.0 Hp
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Kursplan

Fastställd av: Fun-LTV, 2024-12-13
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Nivå

Forskarnivå

Ämne

Lantbruksvetenskap

Betygsskala

Kraven för kursens olika betygsgrader framgår av betygskriterier, som ska finnas tillgängliga senast vid kursstart.

Kursspråk

Engelska

Behörighetskrav

Mål

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:

• Design a project proposal based on a real-life case study of agribiologicals.
• Present, defend, and critically evaluate their project in front of audience
• Implement transdisciplinary approaches to develop solutions in multicultural and interdisciplinary contexts.
• Apply pest and pathogen management strategies to analyse research findings and scientific literature.
• Understand the role of breeding for efficient use of agribiologicals.
• Utilize systems thinking to address interconnected, multi-scale challenges.
• Use qualitative and participatory research methods for data collection, analysis, and reflection.
• Understand the interconnectedness of human and natural systems.
• Apply participatory methods to actively engage stakeholders and foster collaborative knowledge co-production.

Innehåll

This PhD course brings together students from various universities and fields of expertise, enabling them to share knowledge and experiences in a stimulating environment. The course is partly based on Erasmus+ ADVALUE Module 2 – Transdisciplinary Research, with physical lectures scheduled for June 2026 at Pwani University, Kenya.

The course will begin with an online kick-off session three weeks before the physical start in Kenya. During this half-day session, participants will receive introductory information, a pre-lesson on collaboration and collaborative learning, and will be assigned to teams with specific roles. Case studies will be allocated, and trip planning will be discussed. Clear instructions will be provided on the rationale and purpose of the activities, their relevance, and the expected outcomes. Expectations for individual conduct, roles, and team dynamics will also be clearly outlined.

Physical lectures will be delivered at Pwani University and the University of Nairobi, Kenya, by international teaching staff with complementary expertise and diverse perspectives. Students will gain practical experience through field visits to agribiological living labs established under the AgBio4SSA and inSALSA projects.

The first part of the course introduces students to transdisciplinary research in agricultural sciences. Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and structures of transdisciplinary research and learn how it can address global challenges like climate change and food security, incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The course will also emphasize the importance of addressing gender inequalities and ensuring inclusivity in the research process, integrating gender perspectives into transdisciplinary research frameworks. To provide a theoretical background, systems thinking, systems approach, and the concept of social-ecological systems will be explained. Students will learn about the characteristics and issues of African food systems through case studies.

Lectures will also explore the role of agribiologicals in cropping systems, their impact on the microbiome, the potential for breeding for agribiologicals, and the significance of objective field performance testing through plant phenotyping.

Practical exercises will equip students with experiential knowledge of various participatory tools for knowledge integration and co-creation in a transdisciplinary project context. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative learning to enhance student engagement by incorporating the social aspects of active learning. Students will work in small groups on scenario-based learning activities, developing real-life case studies on agribiologicals and applying their experiences from the living labs visits.

The final part of the course will include a project defence, where students will present group pitches, create infographics, and participate in a virtual poster session. Individual project reports will be submitted for later evaluation.

Examinationsformer

The course will use a pass/fail grading scale. Active participation in group work as well as in online preparation will be required. Fulfilment of the course objectives will be assessed through an individual written report and collaborative group work. The group work will include both an oral component - a case study presentation and defence - and a written component focused on project proposal evaluation.

Ansvarig institution eller motsvarande

Institutionen för växtförädling

Kompletterande uppgifter

Övrig information

This course, organized by SLU's LTV Faculty, builds on the ADVALUE Erasmus+ project led by Anna Manourova and with participant Camilla Söderquist, the AgriBio4SSA Formas grant, and the inSALSA Biodiversa+ project. It represents a significant collation and extension of these initiatives, addressing critical global challenges such as climate change, food security, and sustainable agricultural practices.