Food Security Center of the University of Hohenheim

Background and Rationale

In 2009, SEARCA has been tapped by the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany as one of its network partners in its Food Security Center (FSC) supported by the Government of Germany.

The FSC is one of the five excellence centers of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) program "EXCEED - Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation," with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany. The mission of FSC is to provide effective and innovative scientific contributions in research, teaching, and policy advice towards the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG's) of eradicating poverty and hunger in collaboration with partner Higher Education Institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as national and international development and research organizations. The FSC activities deal with issues of sustainable food availability, food access, food use, food quality and safety, and food utilization.

Objectives

The objectives of the Food Security Center are to:

• Promote interdisciplinary teaching and training of PhDs and PostDocs through the Young Excellence School in Hohenheim and strengthening MSc and PhD programs at Partner Higher Education institutes in developing countries;
• Facilitate demand-driven and impact-oriented research at postgraduate level through empirical research projects in developing countries and collaboration with CGIAR centers, development organizations, and local and national stakeholders;
• Strengthen capacity building through North-South, South-North and South-South academic exchange by having visiting professorships and lectureships, as well as PhD scholarships and sandwich PhD/PostDoc scholarships;
• Support capacity strengthening at universities in developing countries through regional networking, fostering institutional linkages at the global scale, and providing structural and personal support of selected postgraduate study programs; and
• Provide knowledge transfer and brokerage by organizing international conferences annually and support external conferences and expert meetings, organizing lecture series for the wider public, establishing a web domain and online discussion paper series, supporting publications and publication platforms, and offering policy advice and expert contacts.

Activities

1. Short- and long-term lectureships and research stays for German staff with any of the partner universities of SEARCA
2. Short- and long-term lectureships and research stays at the Universität Hohenheim of Asian scientists, lecturers, and post-graduate students (master's and/or PhD students) from any of SEARCA's partner universities
3. Organization of joint research activities, conferences, workshops, seminars, lectures, and symposia in Southeast Asia
4. Exchange of scientific materials, publications, and other relevant information
5. Other forms of academic exchange subject to mutual consent

Strategic and Associate Partners

For this DAAD program, FSC has five strategic partners and two associate partners.

Project Duration

Initially, the project was expected to be completed in five years effective 2009, but was later extended for another five years.

Contact Information

University of Hohenheim
Dr. Jenny Kopsch-Xhema CEO Food Security University of Hohenheim Wollgrasweg 43, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany Tel: +49 711 459-24451 Email: Dr. Nicole Schönleber CEO Food Security University of Hohenheim Wollgrasweg 43, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany Tel: +49 711 459-24454 Email:
Strategic Partners
Asia
Dr. Wiboon Chongrattanameteekul Associate Professor Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd., Lad Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand Tel: +66 2942 8858 Fax: +66 2942 8170 Email: ; Web: www.interprogram.ku.ac.th	Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma Program Head Graduate Education and Institutional Development Department (GEIDD) Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031 Philippines Tel: +63-49 536 9330 to 39 (ext. 2200) Fax: (+63-49) 536 4153 Email: Web: www.searca.org
Latin America
Prof. Dr. Victor M. Jiménez Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) 2060 San Perdro, Costa Rica Tel: +506 2511 3430 Fax: +506 2511 4346 Email: Web: www.ucr.ac.cr
Africa
Dr. Afio Zannou Department of Economics, Socio-Anthropolpgy and Communication Faculty of Agronomic Science University of Abomey-Calavi 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Bénin Email: Web: www.uac.bj	Dr. John Mburu Department of Agricultural Economics College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences University of Nairobi P.O. Box 30197, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (0)20 2091967 Fax: +254 721 730443 Email: Web: www.uonbi.ac.ke
Associate Partners
Asia	Africa
Rachel A. Bahn Program Coordinator Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences American University of Beirut P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh 1107 2020, Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 350 000 (ext. 4422)	Dr. Tesfaye Abebe Director, Research and Development Hawassa University P.O. Box. 5, Hawassa Ethiopia Tel: +251 46 220 4738 Fax: +251 46 220 6517 Email: