KWS Excursion

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As part of the Careers Day program, several TRR356 doctoral researchers and postdoctoral fellows visited KWS, an international plant breeding and seed company focused on developing innovative crop varieties for sustainable agriculture.

During the excursion, participants gained insights into a wide range of topics, including the potential impact of future European legislation on the GMO market, opportunities and challenges in plant breeding, phytopathology, and data science. Researchers from various R&D departments introduced their work through presentations and information stands, providing an overview of current research priorities and methodologies. The program also included career talks by breeders, who showed their professional journeys and offered insights into career paths within the industry. In addition, the Human Resources team provided practical advice on CV preparation and career development.

A field excursion allowed participants to visit trial plots from the national Bundessortenversuche, offering a first-hand look at crop evaluation under field conditions. Participants also took part in hands-on sessions demonstrating the plant crossing process.

The excursion provided valuable opportunities for career development, offered insight into the structure and research activities of an international breeding company, and enabled TRR356 members to establish new professional contacts.

Participants included: Africa Fabro Espada, Henriette Leicher, Debangana Moitra, Vahid Fallahzadeh-Mamaghani, and Xinyi Liu.

We would like to thank KWS for hosting the event and for providing our early-career researchers with valuable insights into research, breeding, and career opportunities in the private sector.

For more information and to see a few pictures, please take a look at our colleague Debangana Moitra's LinkedIn post here.