Results and Experiences from our project “Educational Network on Soil and Plant Ecology and Management”

Results and Experiences from our project “Educational Network on Soil and Plant Ecology and Management”

The Educational Network on Soil and Plant Ecology and Management (EduSaPMan) is unique in Europe and is based on a partnership between four universities in Estonia, the Czech Republic, France and Germany. The project focusses on teaching in the field of soil science and plant ecology. Soils have received specific attention in Europe as they are the basis for plant production and provide numerous ecosystem services. Many human activities affect soil conditions in several ways. The resulting soil compaction, degradation, acidification and salt accumulation pose a threat to the functionality of ecosystems and plant productions - and ultimately to the food supply for our societies.

Our aim and approach are to establish a platform from a European-wide perspective, combining the expertise of our consortium members on Nordic, central European and dry Mediterranean environments.

We want to thank all participants for coming to Ulm University and joining our Project Dissemination Event!

The Multiplier Event took place on 16 and 17 May at Ulm University. Guests from all four partner countries as well as interested members of Ulm University were part of these two interesting days. The focus on the first day was set on how it all began and what we experienced so far in the Summer Schools. Input from former students attending the Summer Schools gave an impression of the added value of these international teaching courses. A guest speaker from the Czech Republic introduced a different framework of a different research program – also in the context of soil and water ecology.

A Soil & Water ecology quiz in our virtual learning aid marked the end of the first day.

The second day started in the morning with a talk on “How to manage a successful Summer School” followed by a discussion about the importance of internationalization. A poster session around noon aimed to promote external bachelor and master theses and also attracted other students from Ulm University.

For more detailed information, please check our schedule as well as the reports on the discussions (coming soon).