Abstract:

Widening countries lag behind the European average in Research and Innovation investment and scientific excellence; Digital Agriculture (DA) is a prominent example. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of widening countries, like Greece and Serbia, can play a central role in addressing this issue, but need support for achieving excellence in research and education in the DA domain. Meanwhile, non-widening countries like Belgium have established collaborative ecosystems among HEIs, competence centers, Digital Innovation Hubs, and industry, utilizing digital technologies for societal, economic, and scientific progress.

In this context, three European universities, namely Geoponiko Panepistimion Athinon (Agricultural University of Athens, AUA, Greece), the Univerzitet U Novom Sadu, Poljoprivredni Fakultet Novi Sad (UNSFA, Serbia), and Universiteit Gent (UGent, Belgium), joined forces with other national and local stakeholders in the agri-food sector under the EU project TALLHEDA. Their aim is to assess course needs, enhance DA education, and exchange best practices, particularly from non-widening (UGent) to widening (AUA, UNSFA) HEIs.

In this light, to identify reform needs in widening HEIs regarding DA, we developed a detailed comprehensive questionnaire. Firstly, we reviewed existing literature and models on DA in HEIs to inform our questionnaire. This step ensured our questionnaire addressed relevant topics. Second, we set clear objectives to understand the current state of DA, pinpoint areas for reform, and find opportunities for improvement. This ensured that each questionnaire question served a specific purpose toward our goals.

A key aspect of our approach was stakeholder engagement. We reached out to a diverse group of stakeholders, including academic staff specializing in DA, researchers, and industry partners, to gather a broad range of perspectives on the subject. Their input guided our questionnaire scope, highlighting vital focus areas beyond literature review. We ensured inclusivity in questionnaire design, making it accessible and relevant to respondents of varying backgrounds and expertise levels in DA. This involved using clear language and allowing detailed responses.

The questionnaire balanced between qualitative and quantitative questions. This mix allowed us to collect descriptive insights through open-ended questions, as well as to perform quantitative analysis through structured questions, such as Likert scales and multiple-choice queries. The combination of these two types of questions enabled us to capture comprehensive insights on reform needs in DA education.

The questionnaire development involved several key steps, namely drafting questions aligned with our identified objectives and covered key areas like curriculum development, faculty training, technological infrastructure, and student engagement. This draft was then reviewed by a select group of stakeholders for feedback, which was crucial for refining questions for clarity, relevance, and comprehensiveness. Following this feedback, the questionnaire underwent revisions to enhance its effectiveness.

The final step in our process was the analysis and reporting of the data collected through the questionnaire. This analysis helped us to identify trends, pinpoint specific challenges and reform needs, and understand the broader landscape of DA within HEIs. The findings will inform strategies for advancing DA education and will be reported to stakeholders.

Keywords:

Higher education, agricultural education, digital agriculture, capacity building, innovation hub, multi-actor approach, agribusiness, excellence in education, artificial intelligence.