The history of the department goes back to 1967, when it was founded as one of the three Departments of ITS (together with the Department of Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics and with the Department of Crop Production in the Tropics and Subtropics). Until 1989 only foreign students from developing countries were admitted to study agriculture engineering and economy in the tropics and subtropics. Czech students started this specialized studies in 1992. Actual name of the Department of Sustainable Technologies (DST) was established in 2008 as a part of the former Department of Engineering, Economics and Rural Development.
Focus:
The main objective of the department is undergraduate and postgraduate education as well as the research focused on implementation of appropriate technologies in rural areas of the tropics and subtropics.
Educational activity:
DST participates in education in most study programs of ITS. The department is a key holder of one MSc study program “Sustainable Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics”. At present, DST offers almost 15 courses in BSc and MSc study programs. The department participates also in a PhD study program provided by ITS. The main part of the courses is taught in English. DST ensure education of foreign students under internship educational programs such as LLP ERASMUS. Finally the department participates in lifelong education at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS Prague) especially in the Third Age University.
Research activity:
The principal research fields of DST are focused on Appropriate Technology (AT). AT is a technology that can be applied at an affordable price by local people using local materials to do useful work in ways that do the least possible harm to both human society and the environment. The research has contributed substantially to the development of appropriate and sustainable technologies and to helping improve the livelihood in tropical and subtropical areas. According to this the research deals with the use of renewable energy for agriculture production, processing of organic waste in rural areas as well as the monitoring of inadequate farming systems in relation to their environmental impact in tropical areas. The research is focused on poverty reduction in Less Developed Countries (LDC) as well.
The main research activities of DST are financed by projects under the Czech Republic Development Cooperation. At present there are five projects in different tropical countries of the world held by DST. In the research branch the department cooperates with all faculties of CULS Prague as well as with Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Crop Research Institute.
International contacts:
DEERDTS has international relations with CNEARC and AGROPOLIS, Montpellier, France, department of agricultural engineering in Witzenhausen, University of Kassel, Germany, department of mechanization at the faculty of agriculture at Polytechnic University in Valencia, Spain. Some of the DEERDTS staff are members of NATURA (Network of European Agricultural Tropically and Subtropically Oriented Universities and Scientific Complexes Related with Agricultural Development), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization). In accordance with the realization of Development Cooperation Projects the department keeps close contacts with general project partners in various Less Developed Countries.