Main objectives of the Erasmus sub-programme

This Erasmus IP was designed as an interdisciplinary international teaching course for students. Through its 30 student participants from four EU countries it will substantially increase the volume of student mobility compared to individual exchange. In the perspective of this IP for a total of three years it will significantly contribute to the student mobility in the involved universities from Germany, Czech Republic, Estonia and France. Such enhanced international mobility of bachelor and master students of participating universities will also enhance interests for international exchange grants given by national funding agencies.

The topic of the IP combining soil science, plant sciences, zoology and ecology assures an interdisciplinary character of this activity. Moreover, the applied aspects taught cover also effects of drought and flooding on plants and soil organisms as well as soil degradation. The field trips and involvement of local experts bring about a link to socio-cultural aspects such as human impact and current development under different land use.

The target groups are students from undergraduate and graduate levels. All partner universities have study curricula which are prerequisite for understanding of the study material and lecture content. Mostly, students from biology and environmental sciences will participate in this IP “Soil & water” and contribute from their specific background.  Academic personnel involved in the teaching and developing the curricula for this IP established an interdisciplinary network which can sustain beyond this educational cooperation. This activity brings together broad academic competences and will have substantial value for subsequent teaching activities on all sides. Follow-up research activities will also profit from formal and informal contacts between students and academic personnel, as well as from the interdisciplinary level of this IP.

The lectures by participating scientists (see the preliminary programme) will provide an outstanding interdisciplinary overview and process-based knowledge related to soil processes combining soils, plants and soil organisms in relation to environmental problems. The multidisciplinary approach on these subjects including various climatic zones and human effects on an European level is the innovative aspect of this Erasmus Intensive Programme.