On Wednesday, December 3 from 13u-14u30, we organize a Meet the expert-seminar on Sustainability of plantation forestry in South Africa, in the margin of the JointPhD (Ghent University – University of Pretoria) of Phumlani Nzuza (05/12). You are warmly welcomed to this seminar, which will take place in lecture room E4 (Campus Coupure, Block E).
Three experts in their field will provide a lecture, followed by a round of questions and the possibility for further discussion. The seminar will be in English.
Professor Bernard Slippers is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, director the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute at UP and a leading expert in genetics in plant sciences and forestry. In his talk, professor Slippers will emphasize how long-term international collaboration is key to manage and control forest plantation pests and diseases.
Dr. Ilaria Germishuizen is Research Director of the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, a non-profit focused on applied research and evidence-based support for plantation forestry. Her work centers on sustainable forest management. In her talk, she will highlight how innovations such as remote sensing and precision forestry can translate into practical sustainable advances for the commercial forestry sector.
Dr. Anna Bosman is a senior lecturer in Computer Science at UP, with research expertise bridging computer science and applied plant sciences. More and more, pest and disease detection relies on advanced machine and deep learning models. In her talk, Dr. Bosman will present a recently published paper of how spectrometer technology can be applied for early disease detection, and how machine learning is pivotal in this kind of research.
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Professor Wouter Maes