Six European Universities collaborate intensively to offer a unique joint programme:
Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (UPV) is a public Higher Education Institution actively involved in international cooperation and mobility projects. It is the first technological university in Spain according to international rankings (e.g. Shanghai ranking of world universities).
UPV is highly recognized in the field of Agronomy and Crop Protection. It has excellent research facilities (2500 m² for state-of-the-art research labs, and core services including: genomics, in vitro culture, microscopy and bioinformatics facilities, as well as 3000 m² of greenhouses and growth chambers which allow plant cultivation in different controlled conditions. These facilities and the wide teaching and research experiences on pests and diseases affecting Mediterranean crops, are essential components in providing a highly practical instruction.
The University of Padova (UNIPD) is among leading Italian universities for the quality of its research and teaching. UNIPD offers a Master programme in Sustainable Agriculture entirely taught in English. PlantHealth programme at UNIPD represents a curriculum of this master. The Entomology group (at DAFNAE Department) provides training on sustainable pest management strategies in agricultural and forest ecosystems, i.e. basic knowledge on arthropod biology, taxonomy, insect-plant relationships, invasive pests, population, effects of climate change, community and landscape ecology. The Plant Pathology group (at TESAF Department) is specialized on mycology, traditional and molecular-based plant pathology diagnostics, physiopathology, phytopathology biotechnology, aetiology and epidemiology.
The division of plant protection at University of Göttingen (UGOE) has a long-standing national and international reputation with its basic-applied approach in plant pathology, entomology and integrated crop protection.
The focus of research in Göttingen is on basic biological studies of pathogens, pests and weeds and the understanding of their detrimental effects on crops. Particular interests are in major and novel pest and disease problems in large arable crops such as cereals (wheat, barley and oats), oilseed rape, maize and rice.
The division of Crop Protection at UGOE is embedded in one of the largest faculties of agricultural sciences in Germany providing to students a wealth of additional subjects from related disciplines in the crop sciences (plant breeding, plant nutrition, agronomy, soil science) and beyond (economics, socio-economics, marketing, agro-politics). This allows students to specialize on Crop Protection while at the same time maintaining a broader perspective on the related fields within the system science of agriculture.
The two French national agronomic engineering institutes L’institut Agro (located at Montpellier and Rennes) and AgroParisTech offer together since 2005 one of the most prestigious international Masters in Plant Protection in France, hosting a large number of French and international students.
They are highly recognized institutes in the field of Agronomy and Crop Protection from both research institutes, universities and companies. They provide training on sustainable pest management strategies in agricultural ecosystems (temperate, Mediterranean and tropical agricultures), i.e. basic knowledge on pests, diseases and weeds biology, taxonomy, traditional and molecular-based plant bioagressors diagnostics, pests and diseases-plant relationships, invasive pests, diseases and weeds, epidemiology, population, community and landscape ecology, etc.
Many partners including all main French research institutes (INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, etc.), technical institutes (Acta, CTIFL, Arvalis, etc.), farm organizations and private companies belonging to the plant protection sectors are involved in teaching activities, regularly provide internships and bring their expertise in the advisory board that help manage the master in Plant protection teaching contents. The professional network of this master is quite large, and students are distributed all over the world for internships and jobs.