Graduate Study
Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture
Study Programme Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Vanja Jurišić, PhD
Description
The Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture graduate program trains experts in the field of agricultural sciences and the interaction of agriculture and energy, as well as the sustainable use of biomass, biofuels, and waste in agriculture. The program trains experts in solving environmental problems related to agricultural production and the use of agricultural resources and residues for renewable energy production.
The production of energy from agricultural resources is very important for the well-being of society, as it is necessary to establish a sustainable energy supply for future generations. The connection of the proposed study program with the local community manifests itself through the application of the acquired knowledge in rural areas and the connection with the economy.
The advantages of the program are the combination of the specificity of the profession and the acquired skills and broad knowledge that will enable graduates to work successfully in public offices, research institutes, development agencies, regional consultancies, food processing, food industry and government institutions, as well as new energy production and waste management facilities.
Objective
The consistent and continuous policy of the EU and the Republic of Croatia regarding the linkage of agriculture, energy and environmental protection leads to a steady increase in demand for professionals trained through this and similar study programs. The focus of interest of such profiles is the understanding of problems and application of appropriate methods in ecosystem and agroecosystem management and environmental protection, especially using agricultural residues and renewable energy sources.
The program is designed to follow an undergraduate program and allow you to continue your studies in a graduate program. The content of the program is similar to the following offered at EU, and several teachers who participate in these programs will participate in the teaching and proposed study:"Biobased Products and Bioenergy"; University of Hohenheim, Germany; "Renewable Resources" - Technische Universitat Munchen, Germany; "Biomass Engineering" Aleksandras Stulginskis Universtiy, Kaunas, Lithuania; "Sustainable BIomass Processing" AAlto University Finland; "Biofuels" - Technical University of Denmark; "Renewable Energy and Clean Technology"; Manchester University, UK; "Bioenergy Technology" Linnaeus University, Sweden; "Innovative Sustainable Energy Engineering" Trondheim; Norway.
The Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture graduate program is designed to train experts in agricultural sciences and the interaction of agriculture and energy, as well as the sustainable use of biomass, biofuels and waste in agriculture.
The objective of the program is to train professionals who have opportunities for continuing education and sub-specialization, as well as general and field-specific skills needed to achieve sustainable development goals and work in various areas of agricultural engineering.
Globally, profiles of environmental experts are expected to be recruited faster than others, and private entrepreneurship in particular will be strengthened in this area. In Croatia, the need for agricultural and environmental experts is expected to increase due to obligations to implement complex environmental laws and regulations. For this reason, this program is designed to educate experts in solving environmental problems related to agricultural production and the use of resources in agriculture for the production of renewable energy.
Learning outcomes
- Recognising the positions and trends in agricultural production on the national and international level with emphasis on the role of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and sustainable waste management
- Adopting and analyzing the acquired interdisciplinary knowledge and demonstrating the technical skills in the area of agriculture, energy production, energy efficiency, waste management, environmental protection and life sciences field
- Selecting the technological processes for energy production from renewable agricultural sources, recommending the technical waste management procedures with an emphasis on a low ecological footprint
- Identifying the main features of the agricultural production of energy crops as well as the needs for mechanization in the specific agro-ecological conditions for optimal production results
- Defining and testing the hypothesis in the research related to the renewable energy sources and agricultural waste management
- Processing and interpreting the data in the domain by using logical and consistent quantitative and qualitative criteria
- Determining the possibilities of using remote and autonomous systems in the waste management and the use of renewable energy sources from agriculture
- Managing the facilities for the production of energy from renewable agricultural sources
- Identifying and selecting the appropriate legislation in relation to renewable energy sources and waste management
- Managing the economic entities for the processing of different fractions of waste
- Assessing the GHG savings by using of renewable energy sources as well as other specific contaminants for the selected waste management systems
- Detecting and elaborating the technical processes that occur during the production of biofuels from agricultural waste
- Forming and designing the solutions and routes for obtaining energy from renewable sources or waste materials, taking into account their condition, composition and form
- Understanding and properly interpreting the relevant data on renewable energy sources, waste management and biosystems engineering as a whole
- Organizing the field and laboratory work, collecting and analyzing the content of professional and scientific literature and conducing of expert research