Dear students, colleagues, alumni, and FTA friends, Welcome to the seventh issue of Tropical News.
Our newsletter will give you a brief insight into the latest activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
This newsletter is distributed twice a year, and we would like to inform all our current and future partners of the news from our faculty to create new opportunities for cooperation.
We will be happy to get you involved in FTA activities, so feel free to contact us!
Thank you for your continued support!
You can find the Newsletter in the attached file below and previous Newsletters here.
Are you interested in advances in renewable energy research or sustainable energy sources in sub-Saharan Africa? We would like to invite you to special lectures given by Professor Julius Kewir Tangka and Doctor Viyoi Catherine Tidze. The lectures will take place on Tuesday, June 20 at 13:00 in room 401, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences.
Today we commemorate Africa Day, an annual commemoration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity on 25 May 1963. Currently, more than 150 African students are studying at our faculty in bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs, they are mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda, Senegal and other countries.
The newly launched Horizon EU project AGRIGEP contributes to creating equal opportunities for all through responsive Gender Equality Plans & Inclusive Action at Agriculture and Life Science Universities.
Dear students, colleagues, alumni, and FTA friends, Welcome to the sixth issue of Tropical News.
Our newsletter will give you a brief insight into the latest activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
This newsletter is distributed twice a year and we would like to inform all our current and future partners of the news from our faculty to create new opportunities for cooperation.
We will be happy to get you involved in FTA activities, so feel free to get in touch with us!
Thank you for your continued support!
You can find the Newsletter in the attached file below and previous Newsletters here.
The 15-year cooperation between the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences CZU in Prague and the University of Agriculture and Forestry in Hue, Vietnam was newly expanded by taking on board the staff members of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences on a recent visit to Vietnam.
Please, let us invite you to the workshop „Meet the FTA Project centre and FTA experts” which will take place on 20th September 2022 from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences room no. 401, the event will be held in English.
Students, employees and others interested in projects are welcome.
The programme is attached.
We look forward to seeing you,
On behalf of the FTA Project centre
Tereza Žáková and Jan Staš
Interview with Prof. Dr. Phung Le Dinh, the Vice-Rector of HUAF. By Klára Jiřičná
A team of experts led by prof. Van Damme of FTA CZU published the final evaluation of FAO’s Action Against Desertification that mainly operated under the Great Green Wall initiative and was implemented in 2014-2020 aiming at tackling environmental impacts linked to drought and desertification in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Gambia, Haiti, the Niger, Nigeria and Senegal (partly during the COVID-19 pandemic).
The evaluation involved online and face-to-face interviews, field visits in 8 countries allowing for direct observation of land restoration and livelihood activities and came to the following conclusions.
Dear students, colleagues, alumni, and FTA friends, Welcome to the fifth issue of Tropical News. Our newsletter will give you a brief insight into the latest activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
...which will take place during 14 – 16 September 2022, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic Can agroecological farming feed the world? Farmers' and academia's views
At the end of summer semester, evaluation of the projects, within the subject area of Plant Health and Plant Breeding started. The evaluation took place in different courses at our partners universities. Project final presentations were held face to face on 15th March at Swedish Agriculture University (SLU) and on 11th April at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU)
In recent weeks, FTA representatives Ing. Iva Kučerová, PhD and Sára Šebrlová visited the Arba Minch region in Ethiopia within the development project titled “Arba Minch Fruit Value Chain, Gamo zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia” implemented by Mendel University in Brno in cooperation with FTA, funded by the Czech Development Agency.
On Tuesday 31st May, the International Relations Office of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (IRO FTA) organized an event called “Erasmus+ ICM Coffee” to join and meet all students, who are currently studying/doing an internship at the FTA under the Erasmus+ programme, within the project of the International Credit Mobility (ICM).
Students – representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Syria and Ukraine – were sharing information about their countries, their home universities as well us about their studies and experiences gained during the mobility. There was also one presentation from FTA student, who is currently doing his internship in Vietnam, in Hue.
The purpose of the event was not only to meet students from abroad, but to offer FTA students unique opportunity to make new contacts in these countries, and to apply for the ICM for the winter semester 22/23. The event was also organized to increase the visibility of the programme and to disseminate the Erasmus+ programme opportunities.
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences has again prepared a program within the framework of the Garden Fest of ČZU Alumni and Friends. You can enjoy tours of the laboratories (Herbarium and Molecular Genetics) and the FTA Botanical Garden, we will show you the collection of termites and tropical botany.
This year Tropentag 2022 is organised by the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. All MSc and PhD students, scientists, extension workers, farmers
Fruit processing methods were presented by Jan Staš (FTA employee, food processing expert) during a 10-day training for local farmers and future trainers within the project "iAGRO - Improving the agricultural value chain in Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia" implemented by CCE Diaconia and supported by the Czech Development Agency.
Dear colleagues, students and friends of the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture, this is reportedly the first FTA annual report with a foreword in English. Rejoice and: boom drumbeat! (as Flemish poet, writer and Dada artist Paul van Ostaijen wrote in 1920).
Five representatives of the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) visited CZU between 21st – 25th March 2022. The visit was based on long-term cooperation and previous projects with FTA within Erasmus+ projects such as: EURASIA 2, ALFABET, AskAsia, SIMPLE and PISAI.
The Double degree Master study programme “Agricultural Sciences and Farming Systems in the Tropics and Subtropics” is the first Double degree (DD) programme offered by the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences. It is the unique opportunity for students to simultaneously receive two Master degrees in the area of „Agricultural Sciences and Farming Systems in the Tropics and Subtropics“ in only 2 years and thus enhance their position in the European and Czech labour market. The main objective of the DD programme is to enable students to profit from the different background of teaching and research of the partner universities in the area of tropical agriculture. In addition to the existing single degree programme “Tropical Farming Systems”, the double degree shall offer an additional benefit for the students by an increased selection of modules offered on tropical agriculture, the acquirement of soft skills in different teaching environments as well as cultural backgrounds and performing scientific work under the supervision of two academics from two different universities. Students will benefit from the elective modules at the host university that are more focused on environment, resource efficiency, aspects of developing countries and interdisciplinary work.
You can register for the study exchange programme Erasmus+ by uploading of the documents mentioned below by 11.2.2022, 23:59 to https://1url.cz/@Erasmus_Apps
Dear Reader, Welcome to the fourth issue of Tropical News. Our Newsletter provides a brief insight into the latest updates about activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Our PhD students Marek Jelínek, Jan Staš and Eduardo Duque Dussán, along with Assoc. Prof. Hynek Roubík, travelled to Ukraine as delegates of the FTA under the scientific cooperation project "Strengthening scientific capacities and cooperation of Ukrainian universities in AgriSciences" supported by the Czech Development Cooperation via Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
This mission within the FAO funded project on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in the agricultural sector in Azerbaijan allowed us to have first direct contact with the actors in the field.
Scientists from the FTA, CZU Prague call for help for Ebogo village in Cameroon. Donors can help to protect the endangered tropical forest, sustainable development of the local rural community and children's education in Ebogo and surrounding villages.
As part of the FTA OPEN DAY, organized to mark the 60th anniversary of its founding and held in the brand-new building of the Pavilion of Tropical AgriSciences, the new Belgian-born Dean Prof. Patrick Van Damme – was solemnly crowned with the Bone and Pineapple, having sworn the following:
Our employees Marie Kalousová, Barbora Černá Bolfíková, Iva Bernáthová, Stacy Hammond and Anna Chládová recently returned from Ethiopia where they conducted activities within the project “Publication and Research Activities Development for Education in Life Sciences at Hawassa University”.
FTA experts (Jan Staš, Radim Kotrba and Petr Pudil) just started the final phase of the project “Integrated Farming II” in Zambia by conducting the monitoring harvests of the fishponds.
CZU Prague smart digital ecosystem - improving life on campus using the potential of 5G. The hackathon is intended for all CZU Prague students across the faculties.
PhD students Dennis Kyereh and Marie Kalousová; from the Tropical Biodiversity Research Group (TBG) were in Cameroon for the implementation of the project entitled: “Morphological and genetic characterization of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel in natural and domesticated populations in Cameroon”.
In July 2021, the vice-deans of FTA – dr. Jiří Hejkrlík and dr. Jana Mazancová, extended and formalized the cooperation between FTA and The Cooperative University of Kenya in Nairobi (CUK). The start of the collaboration is dated back to 2020 when the head of the Cooperative Research Team
We would like to invite you to the Faculty Open Day at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences in Prague
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences cordially invites you to a public streaming of the virtual conference Tropentag 2021, 15.- 17. September 2021, Pavilion of Tropical AgriSciences, CZU
From 17 to 24 August 2021, a summer school called Host Plant Resistance Breeding took place in Alnarp, one of the 4 campuses of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) based in Uppsala. It was organized as part of the ESCAPAdE project - EraSmus Curricula in Applied PlAnt SciEnces, a European project funded by the European Union-funded Erasmus + Strategic partnership from September 2018 to August 2021
Not even the pandemic could stop members of the volleyball team of the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture of the CZU in Prague from participating in a beach volleyball tournament in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“What we have seen is that over time now, a number of crops that we equate with southern areas are also being at least tested in the Czech Republic.“ Read or listen to the full interview HERE.
A tornado such as Czechs know only from Hollywood movies swept through southern Moravia on the night of June 24 and, among other things, razed half of the HODONÍN ZOO...
Cameroon is a country of extremes and the fieldworks there, for sure, belong to the most challenging ones. The things work either extremely well, easy and smooth, or not at all. Working at such a sinusoid of ups and downs is indeed demanding and often exhausting.
Dear Reader, Welcome to the third issue of Tropical News. Our Newsletter provides a brief insight into the latest updates about activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Experts from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences launched 3 units of the CZU mobiLAB - a mobile laboratory for the detection of infectious diseases
Let us kindly invite you to the On-Line Thematic Session: Activities of central and eastern EU countries in research and Innovation partnership with Africa as a part of Stakeholder engagement week that is organized within LEAP4FNSSA project
On May 5, Prof. ir. Dr. Patrick Van Damme was inaugurated as the new Dean of the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture CZU. He was appointed to the office by the CZU rector Prof. Petr Sklenička and replaced Prof. Jan Banout.
The team from the CZU, namely Vladimír Verner, Radim Kotrba, Zbyněk Polesný, Jan Staš from FTZ and Miloslav Petrtýl from FAPPZ, is currently conducting fieldwork in the Western Province of Zambia. The activities are realized in the frame of implementation of two development projects, namely "Integrated Farming II" led by Mendel University in Brno and "Agribussines4LIFE “ led by Charita Czech Republic.
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences has a wide representation of development projects in Ethiopia under the auspices of the Czech Development Agency. However, in cooperation with Mendel University in Brno, we primarily solve two projects implemented in the vicinity of the cities of Arba Minch and Awassa. These are "Implementation of a Fruit Value Chain for Improved Nutrition and Efficient Production in Arba Minch Zuria" and "Protection of Awassa Lake through Sustainable Management of Surrounding Area".
The postdoc position is offered for 10 months for applicants from all over the world, out of the Czech Republic. The position starts from 1st September 2021 and finishes on 30th June 2022.
You can register for the study exchange programme Erasmus+ by sending the documents mentioned below by February 12th, 2021, 11:59 AM to e-mail hummelova@ftz.czu.cz
Welcome to the second issue of Tropical News. Our Newsletter will give you a brief insight into the latest updates about activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
The Department for Science and Research announces the FTA Dean's Award for the best publication or popularization output of FTA employees
The Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague introduces a concept of mobile laboratories, CZU mobiLAB. CZU mobiLAB is ready for use in humans and veterinary medicine for the identification of any infectious agents based on nucleic acid detection in sampled individuals. The concept of CZU mobiLAB can be used in inaccessible areas of the developing world and at the same time offers solutions for developed countries in case of reaction to an unexpected threat.
As part of the project “Arba Minch Fruit Value Chain”, three FTA representatives (Anna Maňourová, William Nkomoki and Jan Staš) together with experts from Mendel University in Brno went to Ethiopia to kick-off a new four-year development project. Its aim is improvement of the knowledge and skills of local farmers, diversifying the local fruit production, opening new business opportunities for farmers and last but not least on the reduction of post-harvest losses.
Through the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA) of Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), the joint secretariat of the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) and the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) in Switzerland is seeking a dynamic, independent and innovative young professional for the position of the YPARD Global Network Engagement Coordinator (full-time position).
The Network Engagement Coordinator is responsible for ensuring and monitoring the active engagement of the YPARD community. The incumbent‘s work is partly framed by the communications strategies developed with the communications team and it entails the design and implementation of online and onsite innovative, collaborative and vibrant activities. The incumbent reports to the YPARD Director and works closely with the Communications Coordinator and the Digital Communication Officer. The incumbent will be based in FTA/CZU, Prague, Czech Republic, which hosts the YPARD Europe office.
All courses at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA) from September 29, 2020, will be organized as distance teaching (online lecturing).
Check-in will be available from 15th of September for mid-term and long-term stays. 4 types of rooms, 35 minutes from the CZU campus, private bathroom, silent study rooms and other benefits for you. Online application and other information with photos on the website
Welcome to the first issue of Tropical News. Our Newsletter will give you a brief insight into the latest updates about activities and international cooperation at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Take a look through photographs and video in Benin, where our doctoral student Zuzana Holubová is on an internship for almost half a year, and where she is also collecting data for her dissertation thesis.
The cooperation between our faculty and ICRAF (World Agroforestry Centre) is the logical outcome of more than two decades of research and development of agroforestry projects in various regions of the world
Due to the ongoing State of Emergency and the necessary measures in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, some changes have to be made to the academic year schedule. It is clear to us that the current situation increases the tension and stress to which you are exposed, so we aim to ensure that you - the students - are able to successfully complete the academic year.
Regarding the current situation with the spread of COVID-19, the date of the Final State Examinations (FSE) at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA) has changed.
Upon his return from a research trip in Cameroon, tropical entomologist and new associate professor at our faculty, Jan Šobotník, had mixed feelings: on the one hand, he had seen a catastrophic decline in termite populations in the forest, on the other, however, the group collected many new termophile insects, yet unknown to science.
A new state-of-the art facility called “the green building“ will be the latest expansion of the campus of the Czech Life Science University (CZU). Prospective students of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences interested in the fields of tropical agriculture and developing countries can enjoy the new premises as of this fall semester. The facility will offer top-notch technologies and space for scientific research.
Perhaps even more interesting than the number of giraffes is their coexistence with people and livestock in the "tiger bush". Giraffe here are in permanent contact with people, their crops and livestock.
A year of hard work has paid off. CZU ranked 31st in the Green Metric World University Rankings, and is thus one of the world leaders in terms of consideration for the environment.
In November 2019, our Biogas Research Team co-organized conference in Bila Tserkva (Ukraine).
On Monday, December 9, 2019, the University of Mostar with University of Džemal Bijedič (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina) in cooperation with FTA organized Scientific Day.
FTA organized the second annual international scientific conference for young scientists and students, which was held on 5 December 2019 at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Cambodia.
FTZ representatives organized “Project Management Training - Preparation of the EU Projects and HR Awards” at the partner universities in Ukraine - Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy State University, Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University as part of the project “Support for young university capacities in the field of quality of education and scientific and research activities in Ukraine”.
The scientific conference 2019 for young scientists and students will be held on 5th December 2019 at the Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Call for absract extended till 25th October 2019!
Read about impressive research of our PhD student Anna Bernátková who just came back from her research activities in Mongolia.
This Autumn 2019, the delegates of the PISAI project (Participatory and Integrative Support for Agricultural Initiative) from Thai partner universities visited the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS) as arranged by the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA).
In recognition of her contribution and dedication to the advancements and improvements of higher education beyond the field of her expertise, and to honour her valuable outputs, the Council of the Prince of Songkla University in the Meeting 407, held on June 1, 2019, unanimously agreed to award an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Tropical Agricultural Resource Management to Dr. Petra Chaloupková. The awarding ceremony took place in the Convention Hall of the Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai on September 8, 2019. Dr. Chaloupková was honoured to receive the degree from Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn, who – being scientist herself – has founded a research institute and give lectures at Mahidol University in Bangkok. Due to the presence of a member of royal family at the ceremony, a spot from the handover was on Thai national TV in the prime time news.
In August we organised the 6th summer school in Cambodia at Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Phnom Penh. The summer school is the integral part of the development projects supported by Czech Development Agency (CDA).
The collaboration of staff and students of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences to save the Western Derby eland in Senegal will soon turn its twenties...
Call for participants - Summer school at Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University with topic "Research in practice - Waste management", 22th – 31th August, 2019
The aim of the research is to determine the size and range of the leopard population, their habitat and food preferences.
Come to learn more about the programme, see winning photos, listen to lectures and presentations of students who have already studied abroad...
February 13 - 14, 2019
10:00 – 14:00 at CULS Menza
A New project within H2020 programme titled „Long-term Europe-Africa Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security, and Sustainable Agriculture (LEAP4FNSSA)” was officially launched in Accra, Ghana at these days.
For the last two years members of our Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences have been lecturing a summer school on “livestock-wildlife interactions”, organised by the NGO People in Need. This initial contact finally lead to signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the National University of Mongolia,
In December, FTA had the pleasure to host the director of Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia, Ganbaatar Oyunsaikhan, as part of the ongoing collaboration between our institutions and Prague Zoo.
As part of the development project "Support of Science and Research at the Royal University of Agriculture in Cambodia", a team of experts from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences and the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources
Staff team from CULS Prague, FTA and FAFNR, is helping with implementation of three development projects funded by the Czech Development Agency, in cooperation with Caritas Czech Republic, University of Barotseland,
IPB Job Fair Career and Entrepreneurship Expo 2018 was held at Bogor Agriculture University in Indonesia 21st and 22nd September 2018.
Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences officially build up a partnership with Higher Institute of Environmental Sciences (HIES) in Cameroon.
Author: Markéta Swiacká. During August, in Chicago there was held the very first international conference focused on conservation of pangolins which was organized by the Chicago Zoological Society in Brookfield Zoo.
Our students (Veronika Kristufova and Winnifred Okpo) are collecting data for their thesis. Here are their greetings from Kenya:
Student's field research called "Agri-Cooperatives and Institutions for Rural Development" is still ongoing in Sumy, Ukraine.
FTA was visited by the representative of Sumy State University and Sumy National Agrarian University – dr. Oksana Zamora.
Career Days held at universities in Thailand and Cambodia were organised with the support of CULS in March and April 2018...
Have your say in the food system of the future! – Online survey on trends, showcases and potential breakthroughs. Till 30th June 2018
If you are interested in the Summer School, send your CV and letter of motivation in English by 31.3.2018 to email projectCambodia@ftz.czu.cz
The ALFABET project is coordinated by the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences together with Tadulako University in Indonesia.
Students and teaching staff mobility support among CULS Prague, Sumy National Agrarian University and Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University
FTA and FAFNR organized a two-week summer school "SCIENTIFIC WORK: Step by step" at the RUA in Phnom Penh
"Livestock-Wildlife interactions in Mongolia"
The official Kick-off Meeting of the project SIMPLE was held at the CULS Prague from 24th till 26th October 2016.
