COSIMENA Summer School 2022 on “The Future of Sustainable Dryland Farming under Climate Change”

A Cooperation with Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development in the framework of COSIMENA In line with COSIMENA’s goal to tackle today’s global challenges by fostering scientific collaboration, the COSIMENA Summer School – in cooperation with Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development – aims at training young researchers in the field of agriculture, water management, food security and energy on the challenges of sustainable agri-food systems, overcoming the environmental and economic challenges and transforming these systems to sustainable organic farming from September 10th until September 18th, 2022.

The COSIMENA Summer School on “The Future of Sustainable Dryland Farming under Climate Change” aims to offer participants a local vision of the environmental, economic, legal, social as well as communicative aspects, related to food sustainability and organic farming in the region to promote skills, tools, methods and reliable sources that allow participants to analyse in a critical perspective, problems related to sustainability and focusing on issues related to food and to apply the knowledge acquired to their professional experience with a view to producing and marketing food products consistent with the principles of sustainability.

The Summer School will serve as a platform to discuss the various forms of current successful concepts on the theme, the challenges as well as the opportunities to cooperate cross-regionally and with Germany.

Objectives

cross-regional exchange and cooperation about global challenges
enhancing awareness about environmental, and economic challenges
combining theory with practical experience as a claim to a demand-oriented higher education, job market and post-pandemic world
and practical experience

Methodology

All lectures will be conducted in English.

Trainers

The content is created and delivered by experts from higher education in Germany, and Egypt.

Format

Face-to-Face-Lectures: Lectures in which the participants can work together on a specific theme and are provided with input from the trainers and experts and discuss with fellow participants.
Workshops: In the workshops, the students will work in groups on assignments and small projects in which they suggest creative and innovative solutions to certain problems.
Field Trips: In the field trips, the participants will visit farms and observe the agricultural practices there and put some of the techniques they have learnt in the lectures into practice.

Certificate of Participation

Participants are expected to be part of all activities taking place in the Summer School. A certificate of participation will be issued at the end of the school, provided that the participant has attended the entire summer school.

Target Group

To achieve regional diversity and foster intercultural cooperation between Germany, Egypt and the MENA region, junior researchers from Germany, Egypt and the MENA region are highly encouraged to apply.

The targeted junior researchers should

currently be pursuing a master’s degree
have finished a master’s program within the last 5 years
show a great affinity to innovation and sustainability and cross-cultural exchange

The following fields are relevant: agriculture, food, economics, social sciences and environmental engineering.

Please apply online here: https://www.daad.de/surveys/718232?lang=en

Required documents include:

your CV in English
your graduate diploma (if already available)
proof of sufficient English language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, language certificate from your university, proof of enrolment in an English-speaking program, etc.)
a motivation letter in English, outlining why you want to take part in the COSIMENA summer school, how you could personally benefit from the program and what kind of own research project you are working on and how it is related to the theme of the Summer School. The length of the motivation letter should range between 200 – 250 words.

Please note that only complete applications can be considered.

The application deadline is June 30th, 2022.

Logistics

The DAAD Regional Office Cairo will cover all costs related to mobility and accommodation in the scope of the COSIMENA Summer School. Accommodation will take place in SEKEM Guest House in Belbeis with three meals a day provided.

Kindly note that no daily allowance is provided to the participants!

For more information about the COSIMENA International Summer/Winter schools, kindly visit https://www.daad.eg/en/about-us/cosimena/annual-highlights/cosimena-summer-school/.

For inquiries please contact: cosimena@daadcairo.org