Daria Oshytok and Marta Kolodzeichyk, two third-year students majoring in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, specialty 162, the Department of Technology of Biologically Active Substances, Pharmacy and Biotechnology, the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, Lviv Polytechnic, are currently studying under the Erasmus KA-1 academic mobility programme at the ISA Lille University in France. The girls shared their impressions of the educational process.
The first peculiarity of education is that disciplines are studied in blocks. At first, there is focus on mastering some courses, and later on others. Daria and Marta are studying Precision Livestock Farming and Climate Change. The second has many different aspects, for example, how warming affects the agricultural sector, how to solve these problems and what are the current ways of adaptation.
Another peculiarity of studying at ISA Lille University is working in groups. Almost every academic discipline has large group projects. They include the preparation of presentations, posters and their oral presentation. In addition to case-solving skills, group work develops communication skills and the ability to work in a team, to work with a large amount of scientific information.
Currently, Daria and Marta are involved in a large group project on agriculture technologies. Each has several topics they are working on. In particular, Daria works on hydrostress in tomatoes and wheat, gets familiar with the methodology of finding various markers that make it possible to determine the lack of water for a plant, as well as various ways of plant adaptation. Marta works with agriculture drones.
During the study of academic disciplines, there are many excursions directly to enterprises, especially as part of the Precision Livestock Farming training course. Many different speakers are also invited to share their practical experience.
Within the excursions to enterprises, students have recently visited the ILVO Research Center in Belgium. It specializes in developments in the agricultural sector, in particular for farms. The Center also develops drones for various agriculture needs. Students have the opportunity to work on their scientific works in this Center.
Then, our students have to study genetics, implement and defend a large scientific project on agriculture technologies.
