The BRT at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ) of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) had the honour of welcoming distinguished guest Dr. Ghulam Hassan Shah from Arba Minch University, Ethiopia. FTZ has maintained long-standing cooperation with this university on various research and development projects. The aim of this visit was to strengthen the partnership and explore new areas of collaboration between the two institutions. 

 

During his visit, Dr. Shah was welcomed by BRT PhD student and project manager Jan Staš and Iva Kučerová from the Department of Sustainable Technologies. Jan Staš has been working closely with Dr. Shah for over six years, mainly on development projects funded by CzechAid. Their cooperation has focused on sustainable rural development, agricultural innovation, food processing, and technology transfer in Ethiopia. This visit therefore also marked the continuation of these successful joint efforts led by BRT in cooperation with partners across East Africa. 

 

The programme was rich and varied. Dr. Shah toured all FTZ laboratory facilities, met with numerous researchers and academics across the faculty, and discussed future collaboration in areas such as food processing and postharvest loss reduction, sustainable technologies and integrated agriculture, aquaculture and animal production, as well as student and staff exchange programmes. The visit also included a tour of the CZU campus and a stop at the botanical garden, providing a comprehensive view of the university’s environment and facilities. 

 

This visit builds on years of collaboration between Dr. Shah and FTZ researchers, particularly within development projects in Ethiopia. As of this year, FTZ has also established an Erasmus+ credit mobility agreement with Arba Minch University, coordinated by Iva Kučerová. The visit served as an opportunity to align expectations and prepare concrete activities under this new framework. 

 

Overall, the visit highlights the shared commitment of both institutions to deepening scientific collaboration and promoting the exchange of students and staff in support of sustainable development and knowledge sharing between Europe and Africa. We look forward to launching new joint initiatives in the near future!