The University of Aarhus will be starting up 37 PhDs in agriculture, food production and the environment. It is the largest ever Danish investment in the training of experts with specialist knowledge in these areas.

One of the consequences of globalisation is that production moves to areas where salaries and other costs are lower. Agriculture and food production are some of the areas that can be hit very hard by globalisation. Many producers are currently looking into the possibilities of moving production abroad and in some areas (for example, fruit and berries for industrial production) this has already happened.

One way of retaining and further developing food production in Denmark is to concentrate on knowledge-based and hi-tech production forms.

- If we are to maintain a significant level of food production in Denmark, it is necessary for agriculture, the food sector and the public utilities to have access to the latest knowledge, says Just Jensen, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Aarhus. Knowledge becomes one of the most important competitive parameters in the future, he believes.

No less than 37 PhD studentships have been advertised in both international scientific journals and Danish newspapers. This is the largest ever Danish investment in the training of PhD students for the agricultural sector.

Some of the aspiring scientists will be working with agricultural technology, food technology, biotechnology or environmental technology, while others will be working with, for example, animal genetics or with the quality of vegetables and agricultural crops.

- They will each become an expert with a very good depth of knowledge within their own research area, points out Just Jensen.

The dean explains that the knowledge base that the PhD students are helping to build up through their research will be of benefit both to the agricultural sector and to society in general. A good example of this is within the field of robotics, where the development of milking robots enables more efficient production, safeguards milk quality and takes greater account of animal health and welfare. In other words, production becomes more competitive without any adverse effects on the animals.

- This development is also achievable in other areas provided we train a sufficient number of scientists and experts with the necessary knowledge, he says.

For further information please contact:

Dean Just Jensen, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, telephone: +45 8999 1680

Research director Ian Max Møller, Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, telephone: +45 8999 1302

Foto: Lars Kruse, AU-foto