At Kiel University (CAU), two researchers from Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University (KSAEU) are continuing an international research internship: Mariia Nikitenko, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy, and Daria Kovtun, Assistant in the Department of Agronomy.
Research internship within ACTI-K²
The internship is part of the Lab Cooperation activity within the German-Ukrainian University Network (DUHN) project “Academic Cooperation and Teaching Initiative Kiel-Kherson” (ACTI-K²), funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
It is conducted with support from CAU’s Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences (AEF) and hosted by the Department of Agronomy and Crop Science at the Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding under the supervision of Priv.-Doz. Dr. Insa Kühling.
Lectures on crop science and biosafety
On 6 August 2026, the researchers attended the guest lecture “Containing Transgene Escape: Gene Flow, Hybrid Fitness and the Biosafety of Herbicide-Resistant Crops” in CAU’s Division of Food Technology. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. Xiaoling Song of the College of Life Sciences at Nanjing Agricultural University in China. It examined transgene escape, gene flow between cultivated and wild plant species and the biosafety of herbicide-resistant crops.
They also attended a lecture by Priv.-Doz. Dr. Insa Kühling on the relationship between productivity and diversity in arable cropping systems. The lecture explored approaches to improving the efficiency and resilience of agroecosystems.
From lectures to experimental fields
Following the lectures, the researchers visited CAU’s Hohenschulen Experimental Farm, where ongoing field trials and approaches to cultivating several crops, including faba beans, were presented. The field visit complemented the theoretical programme and provided direct insight into experimental design, crop monitoring and data collection in agricultural research.
Together, the lectures and fieldwork strengthen the participants’ research capacities and support the exchange of knowledge between CAU and KSAEU.
