Ph.D. Program „Agricultural Economics and Related Sciences“ – a Program especially
for Students from the Tropics and Subtropics
Marion Moser and Werner Doppler
University of Hohenheim, Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the
Tropics and Subtropics, (490 c), 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Abstract
In many developing countries, well-educated professionals, lecturers, researchers and
managers are searching for avenues of further qualification in their fields. In their home
countries they may have limited or no access to professional development, or the standard of
further qualification opportunities may be low due to poorly trained lecturers or marginal
research facilities. In the more developed countries, the topics of further education are often
not oriented towards the needs of developing countries. Within the framework of traditional
Ph.D. programs, there is a dearth of post-graduate training related specifically to the realities
of life in the tropics and subtropics. In order to contribute to the enhancement of human
resources world-wide by increasing the number of highly-trained local professionals and by
improving their skills and capabilities, the Universities of Hohenheim has established a Ph.D.
program especially for students from the tropics and subtropics where special emphasis is
placed on the problems of developing countries. Students are strongly encouraged to develop
application-orientated methods which can subsequently be implemented in their home
countries. The University of Hohenheim has a long history of work experience in the tropics
and subtropics and has established intensive collaborations with universities from these
regions. Therefore the University is familiar with the present education situation there and
with problems facing countries in the tropics and subtropics. Twelve professors focus their
research solely on the tropics and subtropics and 15 further professors have research topics in
these regions. The Tropical Centre of the University, with over twenty years experience in the
tropics and subtropics, is unique in Germany and co-ordinates Hohenheim’s joint research and
teaching activities and its international scientific and academic co-operations.
The Program is divided into four phases:
1.
German Language Course
New incoming Ph.D. students first take part in a German language course lasting four months.
A good working knowledge of German will help the newcomers to improve their intercultural
competence and to cope well with their daily life in a foreign country.
2.
Post-Graduate Course work
The language course is followed by the post-graduate course which also lasts four months.
Students must choose at least three modules. The objective of the post-graduate course is to
provide candidates with specific training in those areas and subjects which were not
intensively taught at their home universities. These modules are selected by the faculty board
from a list of more that 25 modules related to tropical and subtropical regions, according to
the qualifications of the students and the topic of the Ph.D. thesis. Special emphasis is placed
on research methodologies and scientific conceptual thinking. For example, students take part
in the module entitled “Farming and Rural Systems Development” to become familiar with
the complexity of systems in reality and the philosophy of systems research as well as with
the methodologies, approaches and concepts of systems research. In the module entitled
“Farm and Project Management and Evaluation” focussing mainly on methodologies of
planning and evaluation at farm, household, family and project level, students should apply
statistics, econometrics and system-modelling methods in order to simulate decision-making
processes at different levels. The module entitled “Food Security and Development
Strategies” will provide the students with a comprehensive understanding of the factors,
issues and interlinkages affecting food security, increase in productivity and the use of natural
resources. In addition, candidates can attend courses in related sciences such as “Livestock
Production Systems and Development”, “Integrated Agricultural Production Systems” or
“Ecology and Agro-Ecosystems” and “Rural Sociology and Extension”. The combination of
courses in Agricultural Economics and related sciences is ideal to train students to develop,
assess and use interdisciplinary concepts.
After the post-graduate course, students must prepare their research proposal. This will be
accompanied by a comprehensive literature review on the topic of the thesis. In this period the
students will also plan and prepare for the field work in their home country. The research
proposal must be presented not only to the supervisor but also in seminars to fellow students
and interested professors.
3.
Field research in the home country
After passing the course exams and preparing of the research proposal, students return to their
country of origin for the field work. In this phase, lasting 3 - 12 months, Ph.D. students collect
data and contact decision-makers in institutions and organisations. The home leave should
also be used to promote and establish new contacts for collaboration between universities and
to improve the possibilities for future employment and careers once the Ph.D. is finished.
During the field work, the supervisor from Hohenheim will visit the student to discuss the
Ph.D. and field work together with the staff of the collaborating institution. Close contacts
between the German supervisor and the partner institution in the home country of the student
are essential for successful field work.
4.
Data analysis, evaluation, writing of the thesis and final Ph.D. exam in Germany
After coming back to Germany, students start with the analysis and evaluation of their data.
Special emphasis is placed on the development of application-oriented methods for farming
systems which can also be implemented in the home country to improve the situation of rural
households. This is the most research-oriented part of the Ph.D. program requiring intensive
work, discussion and supervision. The spectrum of research carried out by the candidates
ranges from action research through concepts with specific focus on local knowledge up to
approaches which are more dominated by quantitative economics. After data analysis and
evaluation, the students write their Ph.D. thesis (in English) and take their final Ph.D. exam.
While writing their thesis, candidates are encouraged to publish articles and submit posters
and papers to international workshops to make the results easily accessible to the international
research community.
Students selected for this program are offered an all-round package: the University of
Hohenheim will provide a supervisor, a German language course, a scholarship and intensive
student counselling. Applications for this program must arrive at the University by 15th
October for the program beginning 1st April of the following year.
Prof. Dr. Werner Doppler, University of Hohenheim, Department of Agricultural Economics
and Social Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics (490c), 70593 Stuttgart, Germany, phone
no +49 (0)711 459 2514, fax no. +49 (0) 711 459 3812, doppler@uni-hohenheim.de
Marion Moser, University of Hohenheim, Department of Agricultural Economics and Social
Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics (490c), 70593 Stuttgart, Germany, phone no +49
(0)711 459 3658, fax no. +49 (0) 711 459 3812, moserm@uni-hohenheim.de
The abstract is submitted for a poster
Theme category 4: Farming Systems Education and Training