Opportunities

International DAAD Alumni Summer School 2009
University of Hohenheim, Germany
"From September 29 to October 5, 2009 in relation with the Tropical Day from 6 to 8
October 2009, Hamburg; Travel to Germany is on September 28th and back to the
respective home country on October 9th. 2009"
on
"Farming and Rural Systems Economics and Biodiversity in the Tropics"
Objectives
The objective of the Summer School is to bring Alumni of the DAAD (former PhD
students) together in order to
1. exchange professional experiences and discuss problem solving strategies
in farming systems economics and biodiversity,
2. improve and promote research and teaching co-operation between the
institutions of the alumni and German Universities,
3. intensify and establish new relations amongst alumni and their respective
institutions

Target groups
One target group comprises foreigners, who have been at German universities as
students, graduates and researchers and received a degree from a German
university. Special preference is given to Alumni of DAAD from developing countries
that did their PhD in a German University. These Alumni can be funded by DAAD
support. The second target group is summarizing all academically interested person
who deal with issues in the developing world and may be funded from different other
sources.

Topic
The topic of the Summer School is related to the theme of the Tropical Day in
Hamburg and will complement the discussion during the Tropical Day. Biodiversity
will be discussed based on farming and rural systems economics and include areas
such as
oNatural resources availability and sustainable use
oProduct and input markets and rural infrastructure
oLiving standard of rural families and livelihood in rural areas
oAdministrative regulations, policy decision-making, credits, ownership,
cultural impacts

Programme
The professional knowledge and experience of the participants is being used by
discussing the main areas related to continents and large zones. In the respective
sessions papers will be presented by participants. The session meetings are
understood as "lessons learned" in research and empirical knowledge in large
regions. The content of this will be structures as follows:
oDifferent approaches and methodologies: systems concepts, integrating
GIS and micro level economics
oVariation of the types of biodiversity under different economic and
administrative environments
oThe relation between sustainable use of natural resources (land, water,
forest) and diversity in farming
oDiversification in farms and risk
oFarmers and markets: resources and biodiversity
oSocio-economic impact analyses for future strategies

Use of results
Presentations and discussions are accompanied by poster presentations and
sessions and accomplished by visits of practical bio farms and bio-energy
companies in the Stuttgart area. All presentations and summaries will be published
in proceedings. A poster is prepared to be presented at the Tropical Day in
Hamburg.

Cost coverage
For the DAAD Alumni as former PhD scholarship holders of DAAD at German
Universities the following costs will be covered:
- return flight from the country they are posted (transport costs in the home
country cannot be covered, e.g. from house to home airport)
- transport from and to airports or stations
- accommodation and living costs while in Germany
- transport from Stuttgart-Hohenheim to Hamburg (Tropical Day) and to
Frankfurt Airport
Participants funded by other organizations or the university of Hohenheim will have
to stay in contact with the organizing office for refunding.
Travel to Germany is on September 28 and back to home country is October 9.

Application
Persons belonging to one of the two target groups interested for participating in the
Summer School may apply direct to the Management Office of the Summer School
under the following address:
Prof. Dr. Werner Doppler
Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences
in the Tropics and Subtropics
Fruwirthstr. 12
70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please, send you application before July 30, 2009 and attach the following
document/information:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Type and period of scholarship you received while doing the PhD in a
German University, University and Supervisor in your PhD research and the topic of
your PhD thesis
- Your current position and duties including the country and the name of the
institution you are employed
- Relation to Hohenheim University and your professional relation to the topic
of the Summer School
- What kind of contribution during Summer School you may have, e.g. paper
presentation. Chairperson, poster presentation, contributing in the discussion
- For those who will be funded through DAAD Summer School budget should
declare that they participate in the Tropical Day as well

Werner Doppler, Professor at the University of Hohenheim, Germany