IPPAE receives funding from DAAD for another eight years and expands its focus on sustainable food systems
15 October 2021 - The successful conduct of the joint International Doctoral Program for Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Food Systems (IPPAE) of the Universities of Giessen and Hohenheim will continue as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has approved funding for another eight years until 2030.
The program is promoted within the scope of the DAAD funding program “Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)”. Both universities have acquired funds for scholarship holders of more than two million euros each, in the years from 2022 to 2030. In addition, around 480 thousand euros will be available for support and supervision.
The IPPAE program enables professionals and executives from developing and emerging countries to support the development of the agricultural and food system within their countries of origin in the long term. IPPAE aims at exhausting the full potential of the agricultural sector to achieve food security and in the fight against poverty, to use natural resources more sustainably and open up new opportunities resulting from the global development of the bioeconomy and the conversion to bio-based management.
The focus is still on the key areas of agricultural economics and bioeconomy; however taking into account future developments such as discussed during the “World Food Summit” of the United Nations. The program will expand its focus on sustainable food systems. The education will be geared towards innovative, holistic concepts and consider the whole value chain.
This expansion of the program’s focus will also result in a change of the name of IPPAE, from “International PhD Program for Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy and Rural Development” to “International PhD Program for Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Food Systems”. The already familiar abbreviation IPPAE remains!
IPPAE was founded in 1991 and thus builds on 30 years of experiences and successes. Between 1991 and 2020, a total of 225 PhD students graduated from the program, 123 in Giessen and 102 in Hohenheim. The vast majority of applicants came from countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. About 86% of graduates returned to their country of origin, taking over leadership positions and becoming key decision makers.
Contact: Dr Nadia Keudel