The IOC attends closing ceremony of the 14th Master’s in Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology. On 25 May 2022, the closing ceremony was held for the 14th master’s degree in olive growing and olive oil technology. This degree is organised by the University of Córdoba (UCO) in collaboration with the Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible de la Junta de Andalucía (CAP), the Instituto Andaluz de Investigación y Formación Agraria, Pesquera, Alimentaria y de la Producción Ecológica (IFAPA), the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, the IOC, the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Fundación Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero (FPCO).
From left to right: Leire Molinero Ruiz (CSIC), Lhassane Sikaoui (IOC), Juan Ramón Pérez Valenzuela (CAP), Álvaro Martínez Moreno (UCO), Ramzi Belkodja (CIHEAM), Iñaki Benito Otazo (FPCO) and Ricardo Fernández Escobar (Master Director, UCO)
The closing ceremony was attended by Juan Ramón Pérez Valenzuela, Territorial Delegate of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Junta de Andalucia, Regional Government of Andalusia (CAP); Leire Molinero Ruiz, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (CSIC, IAS); Álvaro Martínez Moreno, General Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies and Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (UCO); Iñaki Benito Otazu, Managing Director of the FPCO; Lhassane Sikaoui, Head of the Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit (IOC); Ramzi Belkodja, Coordinator of Plant Production, Health and Breeding (CIHEAM); and Ricardo Fernández Escobar, the Master Director (UCO). The Head of the Technical Cooperation and Training Department of the IOC, Catarina Bairrao, and the Head of the Olive Oil Technology and Environment Department of the IOC, Pablo Morello Parra, also attended, as did Luis Rallo Romero, the coordinator of the IOC germplasm bank network and Emeritus Professor at the UCO, Juan Caballero, researcher and professor on the course, and the master’s secretary, Carmen Vacas. One of the organisers of the degree, the IOC also participates in its executive and technical committees.
From left to right: Pablo Morello (IOC), Lahcene Birouche (IOC Scholar), Ivo Milićić (IOC Scholar), Ferhat Özçelìk (IOC Scholar), Catarina Bairrao (IOC), Roohollah Hashemzaei (IOC Scholar), Lhassane Sikaoui (IOC), Ricardo Fernandez Escobar (Master Director), Carmen Vacas (Master Secretary)
The IOC awarded four scholarships for this master’s degree. The current scholars, Ferhat Özçelìk, Ivo Milićić, Lahcene Birouche and Roohollah Hashemzaei, have successfully concluded their first year. They will soon start working on their theses in subjects of key interest for the olive sector, which were chosen with their thesis directors and the IOC.
The IOC congratulates its scholars and all the students for successfully concluding the first year and wishes them all the best for the intense work in year two.