A landscape characterized by steppe, mountains and a high proportion of rural population. In May 2018, 12 agriculture students from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences traveled 5,500 kilometers east to visit the partner university Barnaul in the Altai region of western Siberia.
A world in which the large arable fields of Saxony-Anhalt seem like miniature fields; with 5.6 percent of Russia's arable land, it is no coincidence that the Altai region is the largest food producer in Russia.
After the trip, the students agreed that Siberian Agriculture not only consists of a lot of land, but is also surprisingly modern. Accompanied by Professor Dieter Orzessek, Professor Annette Deubel and Monika Kühne, they attended a week-long conference in Barnaul to find out about the "Problems and prospects of agribusiness in Germany and Russia". The main focus was on exchanging views on current Agriculture issues in both countries. The Bernburg students and professors presented German practice in various lectures.
In addition to the conference program, numerous farms for arable farming, livestock breeding and the production of soil cultivation equipment were visited together with representatives from the partner university. However, in addition to all the technical matters, the students also had time for culture. In addition to museum visits, a tasting session at the Barnaul brewery was also on the itinerary.
The excursion group was rewarded for their long journey with a comprehensive insight into Russian Agriculture. In addition to all the technical impressions, one thing in particular will remain in their memories: how openly and warmly they were welcomed by the people wherever they met new faces.
