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Increasing concern over environmental, biodiversity and food safety issues in the Mediterranean area are the focal point of research by George Fakotakis, Researcher of the CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (CIHEAM MAICH), who spotlighted what his program has to offer international students.
“Our ambition is for our students to deepen their knowledge, critical understanding, applied skills and capacity to analyse and evaluate as well as to implement advanced research so that they are able to contribute towards specific key issues concerning Mediterranean agriculture, food systems, environment, rural development and other related topics. We believe that our MSc graduates maximise the return of investment, not only for their own interests but also for the mutual benefit of their countries,” he said, adding that the course holds benefits to international students bearing in mind that it is in English.
“Many of our alumni are currently holding esteemed positions in academic institutes such as the Universities of: Nebraska-Lincoln, USA; Regina, CA; Ege, TR; Maastricht, NL; Reading, UK, etc. and/or research organisations, government management bodies, aid programmes, local authorities, as well as positions in the private sector. More than 300 former CIHEAM-MAICh MSc graduates have accomplished or are in the process of finishing a PhD degree on full scholarship in many universities all around the world, while many of them are now faculty members in prestigious universities in their countries and elsewhere,” he said.
Students attending courses at the university already hold relevant degrees and have a good command of the English language. Each year, the institute receives more than 500 applications and hosts about 150 first- and second-year students at its campus. Our students come from more than 18 different Mediterranean countries. Mr Fakotakis said that students are undoubtedly affected by the environment and their surroundings during their studies. He said the region of Chania is particularly bautiful. “Chania is not only a beautiful town, but it also presents a historical crossroads of many different cultures, whose presence still emanates in its architecture and landmark monuments,” he said.
A Master Thesis prize, established in 1994, is awarded every year by the Governing Board of the Organisation upon recommendation by its Advisory Board. In 2015, it was awarded to Tunisian student Emna Khanfir, and in 2018 to Tunisian student Mohamed Amine Hedoui, whereas in 2020, it was awarded to Lebanese student Ms Elsa Chedid.
“Every year CIHEAM MAICh co-hosts Summer Schools, which focus on vocational training related to various academic fields for students from Europe. The International Conference Centre of MAICh which is affiliated to the Institute was established in 1990 and hosts very sophisticated and advanced conferences every year; it accommodates seminars, symposiums, meetings and presentations of academic interest, hosts, simultaneously or independently, exhibitions and poster sessions,” he said.
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Established in 1962, the school offers MSc Programmes with headquarters in Paris, and operates through four institutes based in Bari in Italy, Montpellier in France, Zaragoza in Spain and Chania in Greece.
An intergovernmental organisation, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) is a Mediterranean group composed of 13 member states (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey).