In just a short while the graduate school SAFE at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, will be entering a new phase. The very first PhD candidates are preparing to defend months and years of research, data analysis and hard work with the aim of being awarded a PhD.

The graduation of the first candidates is a milestone for the graduate school SAFE, which was established in January 2007. Approximately 10 PhD defences are expected to be held in the course of 2010.

- We are pleased that our very first PhD student is on the brink of completing her studies within the prescribed three years, says Elise Norberg, leader of the graduate school SAFE. The school is rapidly approaching its goal of 200 students. Already now there are 145 students enrolled, about half of whom are from abroad.

The very first budding scientist to complete her programme and PhD thesis is Ye Yang from China, who will defend her thesis, ”The genetics of environmental variation”, on 15 February 2010 at 12:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Research Centre Foulum. With her base in the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, she has worked with possible genetic effects on environmental variations. Her results can be important for designing and analysing selection experiments.

The 25-year-old Ye Yang, who has an MSc from Oxford University, has already secured a post-doc position at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

The graduate school SAFE (School of Agriculture, Food and Environment) at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences offers programmes within the fields of genetics and biotechnology, animal biology and health, food science, horticulture, agroecology and environment, biosystems technology, and integrated pest management.

Text: Janne Hansen