The history of the department dates back to 1967, when it was called Department of Animal Production in Tropics and Subtropics. It was established as one of the three departments of the Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (along with the Department of Tropical and Subtropical Crops, and the Department of Technical and Economic development of Rural Tropics and Subtropics).
Focus:
The Department is primarily focused on educational challenges in tropical and subtropical areas and it is aimed to:
- Breeding and improvement of properties of livestock breeds
- Breeding and protection of native animal species and their reproduction
- Animal nutrition and dietetics
- Animal hygiene, disease prevention and animal welfare
- Ethology of domestic and wild animals
- Processing of agricultural products in relation to food safety and hygiene
Since 2006 the department has participated in the management of farm breeding of Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx) at the School farm of Czech University of Life Sciences in Lány.
Within the Foreign Development Cooperation of the Czech Republic the Department is also focused on the implementation of research tasks and projects in developing countries.
Educational activity:
Department of Animal Science and Food Processing in the Tropics and Subtropics provides following tuition:
• Bachelor's degree in the field of:
"Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture"
• Master's degree in the fields of:
"Wildlife Management in the Tropics and Subtropics"
"Sustainable Rural Development in Tropics and Subtropics"
"Animal and Food Science in the Tropics and Subtropics"
• Doctoral degree in the field of:
"Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture"
Teaching takes place in auditoriums and laboratories in the area of the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) in Prague. The practical part of education is provided at the School farm of CULS in Lány and on farms Ruda and Požáry. The Department also cooperates with the National Stud Farm in Kladruby nad Labem, with the institution MTD Ústrašice (International testing of poultry), with the agricultural institution Nečtiny, with the zoos in Prague, in Dvůr Králové nad Labem, in Plzeň and in Olomouc and with other specialized institutions (e.g. Research Institute of Animal Production in Prague, Biofaktory Prague and State Veterinary Institute in Prague).
In the field of education the Department focuses on grant projects of Higher Education Development Fund (Fond rozvoje vysokých škol (MŠMT), Ministry of education of Czech Republic) - laboratory equipment for molecular biology, innovation of education.
Research activity:
The research activities are largely realized in the form of research grants (IGA, CIGA) and student scientific projects.
Basic research is carried out at School farm of CULS in Lány, where the Common Eland, Llamas and Guanaco are bred. The long-term research project of ITS CULS "Verifying of Common Eland´s farm breeding for economic utilization in the CR" is realized on this farm.
Research is primarily focused on the needs of developing countries, particularly on improvement of properties of local livestock breeds and improvement of processing technology of tropical and subtropical products of animal origin. Therefore, much attention is paid to advice to developing countries in the above priorities. Research of the Department has been and is being implemented within development projects and/or international cooperation in developing countries, mainly in the Tropics and Subtropics (e.g. Senegal, Mali, Ethiopia, Zambia), followed by the Middle East (Jordan) and Asia (Vietnam, Mongolia).
International contacts:
International cooperation:
University of Reading (UK)
University of Montpellier (France)
Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco (Portugal)
University of Kassel-Witzenhausen (Germany)
University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (Slovak Republic)
International cooperation in developing countries:
JUST Irbid (Jordan)
University of Hawassa (Ethiopia)
IER Bamako (Mali)
University of Pretoria (South Africa)
UAF (Vietnam)
Post Harvest Technology Institute (Vietnam)
Institute of Agricultural Science (Vietnam)
Mongolian State University of Agriculture in Uaanbaatar (Mongolia)
Cooperation with institutions in the Czech Republic:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czech Development Agency)
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Education
SVS Czech Republic
Charles University in Prague - Faculty of Science
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice - Faculty of Agriculture
University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
ICT Prague
Research Institute of Animal Production in Prague-Uhříněves
Food Research Institute Prague
Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Science Czech Republic, Brno
Biofaktory Prague
Research Institute of Biopharmacy and Veterinary Drugs
Czech Pig Veterinary Society Brno
Travel Medicine Center in Prague
School farm fo CULS in Lány
MTD Ústrašice
The National Stud Kladruby nad Labem
Prague Zoo
Zoo in Dvůr Králove nad Labem
Zoo in Plzeň
Other activities:
WEB Pages of the Department:
http://katedry.czu.cz/kczpts/