General objectives of the project
- Involving Palestinian HEI’s in Research Movement related to Precision Agriculture in Europe.
- Encourage Palestinian researchers and academics to have an interest to topics related to the concept, domains, tools and digital technology of the Precision Agriculture (e.g. a wide array of items such as GPS guidance, control systems, sensors, robotics, drones, autonomous vehicles, variable rate technology, GPS-based soil sampling, automated hardware, telematics, and software).
- Define of a qualification profile and the curriculum in precision agriculture and the elaboration of assessment standards.
- Involving Palestinian farmers into the precision agriculture processes, enhancing them with critical-reflective and creative skills .
Specific objectives of the project:
- To realize training of Palestinian teachers/researchers in “precision agriculture”, Open Educational Resources (OER), and related fields, enhancing their professional development both for their self-esteem and to meet market’s needs: “Expert in precision agriculture”. The profile will be aligned with the specific socio-political conditions and educational systems in Palestine. (BENEFIT PD Training)
- Developing a joint, contemporary, open and flexible curriculum in precision agriculture will entail the need to focus not only on competencies related to technology/digital innovation in the agricultural sector but, at the same time, to develop the capability of looking at the future, within a sustainable and optimistic view, to embracing new opportunities arising in the labor market. This will lead to the integration of a strong entrepreneurial dimension in the curriculum. (BENEFIT Curriculum)
- Developing an e-Repository with precision agriculture OER (BENEFIT Repository)
- Designing, piloting, and evaluating pilot and initial courses, focusing on precision agriculture. Establishing a pilot site for digital agriculture in Al-Quds Open University Agricultural Research Center (QOUARC), which will provide the essential equipment and instruments needed for digital agriculture application. The advantages of such a site:
- a platform for practical courses for students and staff in the national universities, and
- good beginning as a demonstration site for a business start-up in Palestine, especially for Date palm growers. (link outputs of teaching and research with market needs)
- Creating an international research network about precision agriculture. (BENEFIT Community of Practice)
- Develop an e-precision agriculture space, that will provide the BENEFIT stakeholders- and not only- with a multidimensional space (e.g. OER PA Repository, Communities of Practices, Research Initiatives, etc.) (BENEFIT e-SPACE)
[1] Al-Quds Open University Agricultural Research Center located in Jericho city where more than 300.000 date palm trees are grown as a predominant crop in Jordan Valley. This center equipped with all necessary equipment for research. New equipment for digital agricultural applications will update its function in this scientific field.
