Philippines

Target country
Philippines

Participants
4 doctoral students

Partner universities
De La Salle university, Los Baňos university

Partner organisation
Helping hand for Guimaras

Guarantor of Science Camp
prof. Ing. David Herák,Ph.D.

Four students from the Faculty of Engineering CZU participated at the Science in the Philippines. The Science Camp started at De La Salle University in the capital city of Manila. The students toured the entire university, including the lab facilities, and met the local science teams. They then presented their dissertations and learned about the work of local students. This was followed by a joint discussion not only on scientific issues but also on cultural differences and customs.

This was followed by a move to a family farm where the students learned about the customs of local farmers and their level of farming. This included issues related to composting, the use of green roofs in practice, waste treatment and water management.

At the end of the Science Camp, farms and processing plants for local crops such as rice, coconuts and mangoes were visited. Students learned about the local processes and tasted local food and were able to compare fresh fruit and fruit imported into the Czech Republic.

The students experienced life in the Philippines in one month and learned about the local culture. They will use the acquired knowledge not only in their professional but also in their private life.

Indonesia

Target country
Indonesia

Participants
4 doctoral students

Partner universities
USU Medan, HKBP Nommensen, Matana Univeristy, University of Lampung, Atma Jaya Catholic University, Satya Wacana Christian University

Guarantor of Science Camp
prof. Ing. David Herák,Ph.D.

The successful 8 years of summer school in Indonesia for students from the Czech University of Life Sciences is followed by a similar summer school for doctoral students called Science Camp. It is a special summer school organized for doctoral students from all faculties at the Czech University of Life Sciences. The aim of the Science Camp is to familiarize doctoral students with the functioning of universities in Indonesia.

The students were expected to be independent and able to adapt to the conditions in a country where all principles not only in universities but also in everyday life work in a completely different way.

First experience
The first stop for the students was Medan, the capital of Sumatra. Students visiting Southeast Asia for the first time are introduced to the local humidity that creates a very high feeling temperature, then to the crazy driving style and complete disregard for the rules of the road, and last but not least to the organizational skills that accompany students throughout their stay in Southeast Asia.

The first academic visit was at the Universita Sumatera Utara, specifically the Faculty of Agriculture. Here the students presented their work and activities at the Czech University of Agriculture. The next stop was the Faculty of Engineering, where students from the Faculty of Engineering CZU presented their work.

As part of the Science Camp, students presented their publications at the two-day international scientific conference Nicte 2018 held at HKBP Nommensen University.

After a weekend rest, the Science Camp programme continued again at the HKBP Nommensen University, where students presented and discussed their presentations with local student teachers. This was followed by a transfer to Jakarta

Moving to the capital
In Jakarta, the students participated in a roundtable discussion with a Czech businessman living in Jakarta for 7 years about joint projects he is working on with the Faculty of Engineering at the Czech University of Life Sciences. The mutual discussion was beneficial for both sides, the students got a lot of ideas and at the same time gathered a lot of information about life in Jakarta and got good tips for visiting interesting places.

Subsequently, the students presented at Matana University in Jakarta. Atma Jaya Catholic University was the second stop where we were welcomed by a professor who worked at the university in the Czech Republic.

After spending time in the capital of Indonesia, it was time to move on to the last city, Salatiga. Here, the atmosphere of student life was breathed upon the students, as it is a university town. 

Benefits of the Science Camp
During their travels, Science Camp students got to know a total of 5 different universities in 3 different cities in Indonesia. Thus, they had the opportunity to experience different levels of universities and learn about organizational capabilities at different levels. Furthermore, they made many contacts with local scientists either from the same field or from a field that interested the students. According to the students' own words, the Science Camp was beneficial not only for their scientific development but also for the development of their personality and ability to work in a foreign country. These were the main reasons why the idea of organising a special programme for doctoral students was conceived. A big thank you goes to all the people from Indonesia that were involved in the organization and also to all the students of this pilot year for the excellent cooperation, which I hope we will continue in the coming years.