The colloquium “Challenges in Plant Sciences” is a core class of the Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center's PhD program. The colloquium introduces participants to the broad spectrum of plant sciences within the network. The course offers the opportunity to approach interdisciplinary topics in the field of plant sciences.

This course raises awareness of doctoral students to ethical issues that may arise during their doctorate. After an introduction to ethics and good scientific practice, students use resources that can assist them with ethical decision-making. Students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and train their newly acquired skills in an interactive, discipline specific context.

In the module "Integrative Plant Sciences", which consists of the online course and seminar "Plant Response to Stress" (PRESS) and the colloquium "Challenges in Plant Sciences" , the focus lies on interdisciplinarity, ranging from molecular biology and biochemistry to ecosystem research, and an integrated understanding of plants in their environments.

This PhD block course lets you experiment with AI tools for generating texts, images, audio, and code for scientific use, from presentations to publications. Engage in problem-based learning while experts guide hands-on workshops on AI use with research data, scientific illustrations, and model customization in GPTs and bots.

When studying at a University, but especially when carrying out a Master’'s or doctoral thesis, students are joining the scientific community and, therefore, have to learn about the codes of professional and responsible conduct in research.

This seminar explores how agriculture and food systems can operate within planetary boundaries. Students examine two main themes: (1) agroecological systems and their potential to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture in Switzerland and globally, and (2) food system transformation through policy strategies, food environments, and consumer behavior.