University of Kassel, Department 11

- Networked Thinking Needs Bright Minds -

The Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences is characterized not only by its explicit organic profile, but also by its uniqueness in the German and international higher education landscape. The Department's research and teaching activities revolve around organically-oriented objectives. These activities are pursued by outstanding scholars from many different special areas and through the implementation of modern experimental methods. The declared goal of this networked approach is the concrete implementation of the scientific findings in policy and practice, which is why the Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences sees itself as a cosmopolitan and practice-oriented university department.

The preservation of the natural basis of life is of central importance. Therefore, the organic agricultural sciences are dedicated to a type of agriculture that produces healthy and tasty foods largely in accordance with nature, and that furthermore takes into account economic restrictions and, not least of all, the social and cultural conditions of the respective country and its agriculture.

Fulfilling the research objectivity of organically-oriented agricultural sciences does not only require professional competence. It also promotes a scientific culture that concentrates on complete processes instead of isolated segments. Hence, all concerned parties, from the students and staff to the professors, contribute to the formation of the overall image of organic agricultural sciences.

Furthermore, there is a strong international orientation; Witzenhausen is extensively networked in European and international organizations and also offers its own course of studies.