First Weekend Seminar for the IARD Study Program

First IARD Alumni Seminar

From September the 14th to September the 16th, the Chair of Agricultural Policy with the support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offered the weekend seminar “Professional perspective and reintegration of the IARD students in the job market”. The seminar targeted the current students of the Master programme in International Agribusiness and Rural Development –IARD and some students from study program Sustainable International Agriculture-SIA offered by the University of Göttingen.



During those days, the students had the opportunity to attend presentations from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and Centre for international Migration and Development (CIM) giving them practical suggestions on how to set up their professional reintegration at their home countries. Also former students, who currently work in their home countries and abroad, came to offer their views concerning their jobs and experiences after completing the programme. The even concluded with an excursion to the Bioenergyvillage in Jühnde.

Dr. Sebastian Lakner, Coordinator for the J-PPAE Program made a presentation on the Joint PhD Program of Agricultural Economics from the Universities of Göttingen and Talca. Click here to access the J-PPAE Program website.



The alumni shared their professional experiences in various sectors: public, private, academia and non-profit, which was well received by students since it allows them to have a clearer picture of the job prospects after completing the study program.
During the last day of the seminar was organized an excursion to Bioenergyvillage of Jühnde, one of the first towns in Germany that uses only bioenergy, a project supported by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sustainable Development of the Georg August University of Göttingen.






There was also time to share dinner and have some beers all together, talk about the past with the old colleagues, and getting to know better with the new ones.





“It was an excellent opportunity for current IARD students to learn from the experiences of former students from the standpoint of labor and academic”. (Juan Jimenez, Alumni)

“I believe that the subjects presented to the Master students let them know on certain types of jobs in the public, private and academic sectors.
The seminar also gave us the opportunity to meet new and future colleagues as well as reconnect with colleagues from previous promotions and I hope that we continue to keep in touch”. (Rolando Haches, Alumni)

“I'm very glad that I had the possibility to attend the IARD Seminar. It's a wonderful opportunity for the current students, in my particular case, to get in touch with people from previous generations, to know their experience in different fields and get advices that could be helpful trough the professional life, facilitating our reintegration. I totally recommend this seminar for further generations”. (Karen Jorquera, IARD student)