…that combines many different subjects and people from around the world?

The same question was asked three years ago by the organisers of the Tropentag, a conference dealing with international research on food security, natural resource management and rural development.

...An idea arises...

Their solution created the concept of the student reporters. Sponsored by the ATSAF, student reporters accompany the different presentations and give live comments and description of what is happening, focusing on different thematic subjects. By doing so, people not able to join the fun get the option to experience a bit of the exotic atmosphere spreading at the Tropentag. Also the students learn a lot about the journalistic skills and the transmission of information over social media.

One person in charge of the preparation, administration and project management throughout the start of the conference is Angela Schaffert. In between of her studies on agriculture in the tropics and her moving to Ethiopia, she is now responsible for all the small and bigger challenges arising at the beginning of the conference. Having also to care for the well-being of the respective student, she exactly knows what a student reporter has to face.

...Being a student reporter - a demanding task...

Picking out the most relevant information out of the flood of presentations and talks is not an easy task and getting hold of one of the well-reputed key-presenters can raise hunting sentiments. But being established with equipment encompassing not so much pen but paper cameras and video cams and – most important - laptop, they can convey their message in a creative interactive way in order to capture the attention of their audience. Finding the right mixture is exactly what the student can learn during the three-day conference.

...with many opportunities

Still, complex as the subject of the conference is, always being informed and keeping up with the scientific standard is a challenge. People from all over the world meet for three days to communicate on their respective field of expertise in the agricultural sector. With the title “Resilience against agricultural crisis” the conference covers a highly up-to-date issue. Expert talks on such different topics as production systems, plants and soils, engineering and social context will be accompanied by poster presentations of young scientists.

To give at least a brief overview on the different matters and keeping the audience informed and also entertained is a demand that will require a lot of attention of the 12 students within the next 4 days...

... So let the adventure beginn!