The Water Systems and Global Change PhD week in Italy

Base camp

We finally arrived in Bologna after a long train journey filled with fantastic views along the way! Somewhere outside of the city, a steep dirt road took us to the top of the hill where our base camp for the week appeared. The next day we woke up to the sounds of birds and a gentle breeze with mild sun rays piercing through the trees in the forest behind the house. Looking down the windows, even the old man “Vidovina” guarding the gates seemed to be smiling. A perfect style to start a day.

After breakfast, we embarked on the agenda of the big day. By 8:30 everyone had settled down to the individual workstation. The options were perfect. Either outside or inside the house with people rotating between the two options.

At the end of a long working day, it was time for a relaxed evening. There were plenty of activities to choose from, some of us played chess or table tennis and others just chatted with our colleagues or went for a walk

Scientific getaways

Of course, the trip was also about gaining and sharing knowledge in the scientific world of water. We visited the University of Bologna to attend the Seminar “The value of water: at the crossroads between climate change, scarcity, and political ecology”, organized by the Water Grabbing Observatory. The seminar focused on connecting studies of future-oriented hydrological modelling with water’s political and social aspects, paying close attention to how climate change will affect hydro-politics.

Some of us who work with forecasting systems in their PhD research also visited the Italian Climate Simulation and Prediction division of the CMCC (Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici). Together with four experts from the institute we exchanged knowledge on research topics such as seasonal forecasting, decadal climate predictions and how to deal with climate extremes.

Near the end of the week, we were again welcomed at the University of Bologna by the Agricultural and Food Science department. It was very interesting to notice that the topics they study are different from ours. The Italian researches inspired us with new topics like “bioeconomy”, “Agricultural-Climate-Market” and “Fairness in agro-food Chain”. Our visit ended with a tour through the greenhouses, where were invited to discover their ‘Soilless Cultivation Technology’.

Teambuilding with food

The PhD week was also about getting to know each other better. After all, there might not be a better way to achieve that as by cooking for 20 people every evening! The culinary delights ranged from pizza, pasta and lasagna to traditional Chinese and Pakistani food and a last barbecue under the Italian sunset. One evening after dinner, we dived into the 16 Personalities Test. The test helped us in understanding each others personality types in a fun way which may have great benefits for our team work.

The end of the week approached. In the train back to Wageningen we had plenty of time to reflect on the week, enjoy the mesmerizing views of the Swiss mountains and lakes, meet new people, and get some rest. The trip gave us enough food for thought regarding our research and potential collaborations. On top of that, we have created a stronger bond as a group. Back to reality: cold rainy weather, regular meetings, and our Lumen office (yay for the ergonomic desks and chairs!). But we are sure that for the next months, our minds will often wander back to our time in Italy.

Last but not least, we would like to thank the Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research (WIMEK), the LEB foundation, and the Water Systems and Global Change (WSG) chair group for financially supporting our trip.