Timetable and learning outcomes

The summer school aimed to decipher the strategies that have been developed to identify and exploit stress responses and to manage the growing practices that tackle abiotic and biotic stress. Course content focused on major challenges encountered by the agricultural industry, such as confronting climate change and maintaining both the yield and quality of agro-food productions. A variety of crops were be studied, such as tomatoes, strawberries, grapevines, carrots, leeks, pine and oak trees etc.

Teaching was based on the flipped classroom principle: participants and speakers co-designed laboratory experiments in response to current queries and demands faced by farmers and customers. Students and professors then collected the resulting data and determine the most efficient data mining methods to process the results. The analyses and experimental conclusions were presented at the end of the summer school.

Participants were familiarised with academic research, thus preparing them for future studies within doctoral schools and also for the workforce. This international experience allowed students to gain a deeper understanding of other cultures, make lifelong friends from a wide variety of backgrounds and benefit from world-renowned academic excellence.

Tentative programme

Week 1: from the laboratory…

The first week was devoted to exploring the existing links between climate change, agricultural production and biotechnology.
Via practical and group work, students understood the role of fundamental research when testing innovative solutions for agriculture. The aim was to provide students with a comprehensive toolbox that would allow them to carry out a needs analysis of modern agricultural practices. This was achieved through an overview of the main challenges of French agriculture and the links between fundamental research and biotechnological agricultural solutions.

Topics explored:

• Pollen in high ambient temperatures and development consequences (by use of cellular and molecular biology and functional genomics);
• The impact of climate change on the composition of tomato fruit (approaches for the study of central, specialised and redox metabolisms will be considered for this topic);
• Mildew: how to predict and fight this biotic threat (investigation by bioassays of strategies to study plant-pathogen interactions and control pathogen development).

In order to prepare the inverted class, quizzes were provided to introduce each topic.

Week 2: …to the field!

During the second week, in order to combine theory with the practice and reality of the professional world, specific theme days were organised. The days were based on the agricultural sectors listed below.

Participants discovered the research laboratories and experimental facilities available at the University of Bordeaux, discussed with researchers who are active within chosen themes and visited agricultural and industrial facilities in New Aquitaine to exchange with professionals from each industry.

• Day 1: Forest and Arcachon Bay
  Laboratory (Pierotton INRAE), Oyster House at Gujan Mestras and the Dune of Pyla, Sturgeon rearing for caviar production (Mios).
  
  
• Day 2: Corn production
  “Maisadour” factory (Mont-de-Marsan).
  
  
• Day 3: Carrots and leeks
  Planète Végétale farm (Cestas).
  
  
• Day 4: Strawberry
  “Invenio” - center for the selection of strawberry varieties (Douville).
  
  
• Day 5: Vine and wine
  Laboratories at the Institute of Vine and Wine Science (ISVV) and the vineyard of Château Luchey-Halde (BSA).
  
  
• Day 6:
  INRAE agro-ecological experimentation farm (Saint-Laurent de la Pree).
  

In addition to the lectures and practical/group work, the two week summer school programme was balanced with many cultural events and excursions (e.g. historical sites of Bordeaux and the Museum of Aquitaine, Montaigne Tower, Roquetaillade Castle, the Dune of Pilat, the town of Saint-Émilion and its v Luchey-Halde and its wine cellar).

Programme

Week 1

Monday July 8th	Tuesday July 9th	Wednesday July 10th	Thursday July 11th	Friday July 12th	Saturday July 13th	Sunday July 14th
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch in INRAE canteen	09.00 – 12.00 Visit Arboricole INRAE Experimental unit in Toulenne	09.00 – 11.30 Visit INRAE Pierroton (forest management)	09.00 – 12.00 Visit CIREF, Invenio (straweberry selection) in Douville	09.00 – 12.00 Class Strawberry and cherry production	Whole day Social event Free time	08.30 – 17.00 Social event Fresh food market in Pessac and visit to Saint-Emilion
14.00 – 14.30 General introduction	12.00 – 13.30 Lunch (picnic)	12.00 – 13.30 Lunch (picnic)	12.00 – 13.30 Lunch (picnic)	12.30 – 13.30 Lunch in INRAE canteen
14.30 – 15.30 Class French agriculture	14.00 – 18.00 Social event Visit in South Gironde (Château de Roquetaillade, Bazas)	15.30 – 17.00 Visit Oyster museum		14.00 – 18.00 Class & Lab work Mycology & Plant Pathology class and Lab work 1 at Talence Campus
15.30 – 17.00 Visit Château Couhins (wine production)		17.00 – 19.00 Social event Dune of Pilat
17.00 – 18.30 Social event Icebreaker						Evening Social event Fireworks in Bordeaux

Week 2

Monday July 15th	Tuesday July 16th	Wednesday July 17th	Thursday July 18th
09.00 – 12.00 Class Plant breeding and tomato production	09.30 – 12.00 Visit Discovery of different soils in Saint-Emilion vineyards	09.00 – 11.30 Lab work Lab work 2 at INRAE campus	09.00 – 12.00 Preparation of students' feedback presentations 1
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch in INRAE canteen	12.30 – 14.00 Lunch in a restaurant	12.30 – 14.00 Lunch in INRAE canteen	12.30 – 14.00 Lunch in INRAE canteen
14.00 – 16.30 Class Redox biology class, Visiting greenhouse at INRAE Campus	1400 – 17.30 Visit Château La Dominique (wine production)	14.00 – 18.00 Lab work Lab work 3 at INRAE campus	14.00 – 16.00 Preparation of students' feedback presentations 2
16.30 – 17.30 Social event Pétanque tournament		17.00 – 19.00 Social event Dune of Pilat	16.00 – 17.00 Students' feedback presentations
			17.00 – 18.30 Social event Closing cocktail

A certificate of participation was awarded to students upon completion of the course.