Program

The PhD-Program “Agricultural Economics” (J-PPAE) is a three year, English-language program that is jointly offered by the Georg-August-Universität of Goettingen (Germany) and Universidad de Talca (Chile). These universities have offered a similar joint MSc-Program since 2002. J-PPAE students are registered under the International Ph.D. Program for Agricultural Sciences Program (IPAG) in Göttingen (http://www.ipag.uni-goettingen.de) and Doctorado en Ciencias Agrariria (DCA) in Talca.

The main objective of J-PPAE is to generate cutting-edge research and train young agricultural economists who are equipped to address crucial issues related to the further development of agricultural trade relations, in particular in the relations between Chile and the EU.

Further objectives of the program are:

The application of economic theory to problems of international agribusiness, international trade, market and policy analysis, farm management, marketing and rural development

Carrying out relevant applied agricultural economic research in cooperation with leading research institutes and key agricultural stakeholders in Latinamerica and Europe

Providing training in cutting-edge methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis Imparting the skills required to publish results in international journals

Training participants in gaining the skills required to publish results in international journals, in communication with policy makers and other stakeholders, and to develop solutions and strategies to combat hunger, poverty and resource depletion

Carry out relevant applied agricultural economic research in cooperation with leading research institutes and key agricultural stakeholders in Chile and Germany

After completing their degrees students are ideally suited to contribute to the deepening of mutually beneficial trade relations between Chile and Germany via careers in academia, policy making and agri-business.

The study program is adapted to the needs of the students and requirements for their research.

Schedule:

Over the first year, PhD students in the program take courses in a well-established international PhD-Program Agricultural Aciences in Göttingen http://www.ipag.uni-goettingen.de and a course-program in Agricultural Economics (“Promotionskolleg Agrarökonomik“, http://www.agraroekonomik.de). During the program, PhD-candidates are part of a joint program of the Universities of Göttingen and Talca (Seminars and Summerschools). PhD-topics are suggested for their ensuring PhD research. Students develop thesis proposals in the course of the first year in Göttingen, during a workshop PhD-students can present their PhD-proposal.

Field work and data collection begins in the second year. The location of this year is either Göttingen or Talca, depending on the PhD-topic. All students complete the required module credits and present their second annual progress reports in joint workshop in Talca at the end of the second year.

The third year is spent at the University of Talca, where participants carry out their PhD research in dynamic scientific environment. This year is dedicated to data analysis and drafting papers and the PhD thesis. It closes with workshop, at which theses will be presented and defended, again with the participation of representatives of the involved cooperation partners.

The program is supported by eight cooperation partners from the fields of science, agribusiness and public administration; these partners provide ideas, and contribute to the supervision of PhD research projects.

The Students bear a workload of 180 ECTS credits over six semesters: 150 credits for the PhD Thesis; 6 credits for the Thesis defense; and 24 credits in the form of four modules of 6 credits each. These modules cover the following areas: Annual progress reports (one at the end of the first year, and one at the end of the second); Methods (training in scientific writing and data and literature management); Specialisation and key qualifications (training in the analytical and empirical tools used in economic analysis). Students without a prerequisite basic knowledge of econometrics are required to take an additional ‘bridge’ module. For receiving a joint PhD-degree all candidates are required to matriculate in Talca for at least for one year.

Students attend summer schools at the beginning of years two and three, and will be encouraged to submit their own work to international conferences and attend such conferences. For example, the triennial meeting of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) are an ideal forum for J-PPAE research. Language courses are available in Talca and Göttingen and students are encouraged to refine their communication skills.

Schedule JPPAE 2012

Last modified: 07.11.2012