Agroecology 1 min
The Master of Science which boosts plant health
PRESS RELEASE - The Université Côte d’Azur, INRAE and the CNRS are opening a new international and multidisciplinary Master of Science degree which aims at training students to conduct research and development programmes in plant protection for the agriculture of tomorrow. This vocationally-oriented MSc programme benefits from the strategic position of the Institut Sophia Agrobiotech and partners from the biocontrol sector.
Published on 03 October 2019
Today one of the major challenges of the global ecological transition is to implement plant production systems which respect the environment and human health. Ecofriendly plant production concerns numerous economic sectors: agriculture, agrifood, pharmaceutics, cosmetics.
The Master of Science (MSc) "Biocontrol solutions for plant health" proposed by the IDEX programme of the Université Côte d’Azur in partnership with INRAE and CNRS, coordinated by researchers and teacher-researchers of the Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, aims at training a new generation of scientists and professionals in the field of plant protection.
The MSc BOOST is unique in France: it is based on the expertise developed over many years by INRAE in Sophia Antipolis in the field of plant health. Three specialties will be offered to students: biopesticides and natural molecules, plant improvement for biocontrol, and bio-inputs based on macro- and micro-organisms, in order to cover the major fields of plant biology. The students will follow courses in plant biology, ecology, entomology, microbiology, chemistry, data analysis, law, social sciences and management.
The course will include a number of internships in the lab and in industry as well as mentored professional teamwork projects (research contracts, public-private collaborations, expertise, etc). The BOOST Autumn School, organised from 20 to 27 September 2019 in Sophia Antipolis, brought together students and scientific and professional experts in biocontrol such as the FAO and EPPO.
The MSc BOOST will train experts capable of conducting projects in all sectors of activity related to research and innovation in plant health as researchers, head of R&D projects or experts in consulting firms.