Block seminars on module 4 «Transdisciplinary research methods for sustainable agriculture»

The first block seminar on Module 4 "Transdisciplinary Research Methods for Sustainable Agriculture" was held on October 25-29, 2021 on the premises of Arctic State Agrotechnological University in Yakutsk with the participation of module developers, doctoral students from Russia and  Kazakhstan, scientists and experts from the European Union were connected online. The organizers of this seminar were responsible for the development of module 4 - Arctic State University (Russia) and West Kazakhstan ATU named after Zhangir Khan (Kazakhstan). 

During five days of intensive block seminar lectures and seminars for PhD and doctoral students on the topics of the module, presentations of own research and integration into scientific community of young researchers, preparation of group tasks for learning and acquiring skills to create a video on the topic of the block seminar using smartphone, which includes capturing key messages on transdisciplinary approach by interviewing participants. A business game "Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Food Security" was held, during which, based on the rapid analysis, measures were developed to improve the sustainability of the analyzed territories, the implementation of which would create a favorable environment for the activities of agricultural producers. Also during the foresight session "Sustainable agricultural development, application of transdisciplinary research methods" with the elements of the game and brainstorming participants conducted group work in the format of collective mental work to identify and create a possible future, predicting and designing the prospects for sustainable agriculture. 

Key reports on regional problems of sustainable development of agriculture by representatives of agricultural holding and farming, a trip to Taastaakh village of Namsky ulus, to the cattle-breeding complex of the Genofund state enterprise of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "Yakutsk cattle", familiarization with conditions of economic activities in local conditions, as well as systematic work on the preservation and restoration of the Yakut breed of indigenous cattle in the republic attracted interest. 

During the seminar postgraduate students and doctoral students have an opportunity to build a logical chain on the topics of the module thanks to lectures of our European partners - on sustainable development and research (Dr. Angelika Thomas, University of Nürtingen-Haßlingen, Germany), The lectures of our European partners - on sustainability assessment of agricultural enterprises (Prof. Maria Müller-Lindenlauf, University of Nürtingen-Gaislingen, Germany) and the lecture of Prof. Brigitte Kaufmann on actoriented and activity-oriented approaches in agricultural research. As a result of the events, a roundtable discussion on "Systemic Approach to Research and Management of Sustainable Agricultural Development Processes" was held with the participation of stakeholders. 

At the end of the block-seminar the leader of module 4 of SAGRIS project Professor Brigitte Kauffman (German Institute for Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany) summed up the results, received feedback from graduate and doctoral students. All participants of the block seminar were given certificates of advanced training.