HPC-30306 Hortonomy

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

Participants should be in the last phase of the MSc.

Continuation courses:

Thesis HPC

Contents:

The course Hortonomy aims to learn students to understand, analyze and solve complicated multidisciplinary problems within international horticultural production chains (HPC's). The focus of all lectures, practical's, excursions and short project assignments is strongly on quality management in international HPC's in a broad sense (i.e. topics range from sustainable production, planned product availability to physical/chemical product quality). The course has a strong international character. It is likely that the course will be given together with 8 European partner universities. In that case, the program includes a preparation period for students of 1.5 credits (in Wageningen), a 2 weeks period of very intensive 2 weeks program (IP) at one of the partner Universities (3 credits) somewhere in Europe. In 2011 the IP will be held in Wageningen from 18 until 29 April. Note that the IP is full-time (morning/afternoon and some evenings). The course is finalized by a final exam project, executed in international teams of approximately 6 students from different universities. These teams collaborate first by face-to-face contact with their supervisor during the last week of the IP and afterwards via modern communication media (internet, videoconferencing etc). The total number of students that can participate is restricted.

Learning outcomes:

After this course students are able to
- mention important aspects, problems and opportunities of some selected food and ornamental production chains in (mostly greenhouse) horticulture;
- mention strong and weak points, problems and opportunities of important horticultural production chains, based on historical, present and to be expected developments;
- analyse horticultural production chains and divide it into units, links and flows of product and information;
- use and integrate their background knowledge of different disciplines (technological, plant physiological, economical etc) to analyse complex horticultural problems, divide it into relevant sub-problems, and give directions of possible causes and solutions;
- present (oral and written) results using common & modern technologies (PowerPoint presentations, Poster Session).

Activities:

- attend (interactive) lectures;
- attend excursions ('state of the art' parts of Horticultural Production Chains);
- attend and participate in tutorials/instructions and (ICT) discussions;
- individual case study and presentation (short written report and oral/internet/poster presentation).

Examination:

Written and oral/internet/poster presentation of individual (or group) case study.

Literature:

- lecture handouts;
- additional Literature via ICT (Blackboard).