At Kiel University (CAU) in Germany, Mariia Nikitenko, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy, and Daria Kovtun, Assistant in the Department of Agronomy, both from Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University (KSAEU) in Ukraine, have taken part in practical research activities during their international research internship.
Practical work with faba beans
The researchers joined an experiment led by Akilesh Muralodharan, PhD, and took part in practical work with faba beans. Their tasks included harvesting the crop, recording the harvest and weighing the faba beans. This hands-on work gave them direct insight into how experimental activities are carried out and documented.
DIVERSILIENCE, which stands for Diversification for Food Systems Resilience, is a DFG-funded Research Training Group at Kiel University. It examines how diversity across the food chain can contribute to resilient and sustainable food systems.
Learning from controlled greenhouse research
Kristen Schwarz, a senior laboratory staff member at the greenhouse, introduced the researchers to the facility. The tour covered the organisation of greenhouse work, plant-growing conditions and research in a controlled environment.
Seeing the greenhouse operation alongside the faba-bean experiment helped the researchers connect practical tasks with the wider organisation of agricultural research. It also offered insight into the facilities and procedures that support systematic experimentation.
Strengthening German-Ukrainian research cooperation
By combining practical research experience with an introduction to greenhouse work, the internship helps strengthen the participants’ scientific skills, broaden their understanding of international research practice and create scope for knowledge exchange and future collaboration between CAU and KSAEU.
This practical focus is embedded in 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). The internship 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.
The researchers sincerely thank Prof. Dr. Tim Diekötter, Dean of CAU’s Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tetiana Skibina, ACTI-K² cooperation coordinator, for organising the programme and supporting their professional development.
