Dryland Studies
PG Certificate Program
- One year (2 semesters) flagship Program from Chennai campus Fully On-Line Mode of ‘PGCDS Program’ Available Now!!
- Courses with most appropriate concepts, applications, are conducted by Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel (BGU)
- An excellent, futuristic program addressing the imminent crises of Climate Change, Water Scarcity, Drylands, Desertification, Degradation, etc through a multi-disciplinary scientific approach towards future global sustainability;
- Learn in-depth multi-disciplinary approaches to transform dryland ecosystems productive and sustainable under rainfed, semi-arid and arid ecologies.
- Curriculum is taught by internationally acclaimed Scientists and Professors of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) and the Albert Katz International School of Desert Studies (AKIS)
- The International Academic Credits earned at ABIDAT are recognised by Universities across the world and will be considered as partial fulfilment to obtain a Master’s degree in Desert Studies [with Full Fellowship / Scholarship @ BGU, Israel in the 2nd year - as obtained by 100% of our 1st Batch (2022-23) PGCDS Program].
- This certificate could be a game changer and could well add immense value to your career dreams.
About ABIDAT
ABIDAT is a partnership between the ABAN Group of India and the 50+ year old Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Israel. BGU is among the world leaders in Dryland systems management, desert agriculture and water-related research and is known for conducting cutting-edge research on a broad spectrum of subjects. Through this partnership with BGU, the ABAN Group strives to contribute and equip towards developing environmentally sustainable solutions to ensure the livelihood, energy, food and nutrition security of the country, continent and the world is nearer to the goal.
Who can Apply?
Admission Process
Once the applicant has fulfilled all the prerequisites, the final selection/ enrolment, etc will take place, in compliance with the norms of BGU, Israel. The Fees for the 1 Year PG Certificate Program (2 semesters) is payable in 2 to 4 instalments. All ABIDAT students will be identified as a bonafide BGU student.
PGCDS PROGRAM @ ABIDAT
(why take
admission to the 2nd
Batch in 2024-25 Session?)
Importance of Dryland Agriculture being declared by Prof. Avigad Vonshak, Professor Emeritus, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands (FAAB), Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Get equipped for a career that addresses the "Global Necessity", which is imminent in the current Decade and beyond!
Message from the Leadership
This unique Indo-Israel collaboration aims to take full advantage of Israel’s dryland systems management, including in-depth knowledge of desert farming and build sufficient human capital in India and overseas so that we might be able to remain food secure and food self-sufficient. Our current students experienced an excellent teaching-learning ambience from the leaders in the area of vast disciplines, which are the most indispensable to face the imminent future. It is already proving to be a “game-changer” for students who have opted to study at ABIDAT. Our 1st batch of students have all completed their PGCDS Pragram and have been selected by BGU, Israel to study for another year in Israel to obtain a Master’s degree in Desert studies. Their study in Israel is completely funded by BGU. In the light of this I believe this is a golden opportunity for Life Sciences and Agriculture students to join the 2nd batch of the PGCDS program which will start in Fall 2024. We welcome many more, who have the potential to continually achieve excellence”
– Sailendra Bhaskar (Ph.D.), Correspondent, ABIDAT
ABIDAT offers an interactive mode of coaching and scholarship, stimulating the passion for a ‘persistent research orientation’ to look for innovative sustainable alternatives and surmount the existing challenges in agricultural production systems in general, with a focused view on rainfed and arid ecosystems, which is the need of the hour, at the same time to venture for rejuvenating the degraded ecologies. ABIDAT seeks to build human capacity that yearns to serve stakeholders that consist the farming communities and beyond, in the context of climate change, water scarcity, desertification, degradation, etc” It is truly gratifying that 100% Students of PGCDS Program 1st Batch (2022-23) have secured a Full Post-Graduate Fellowship from BGU, Israel for the session 2023-24, as all of them have been selected by the distinguished Professors (Scientists) within their respective Research Projects, which is definitely a significant milestone for the fledgling ABIDAT.
– Prof (Dr) Thomas Abraham, Director, ABIDAT
*The following is ‘List of the Courses’ that the 1st batch of students were required to complete; there may be addition of new courses or removal of some of the courses based on constructive feed-back, introspection and feasibility of curriculum delivery.
PGCDS *Curriculum
- Dryland Functioning and Human Interventions
- Water & the Environment: Current Challenges and Solutions
- Carbon Metabolism and Photosynthesis in a Changing Environment
- Theory and Applications of Geographic Information Systems and Science (GIS)
- Introduction to Aquaculture
- Physiology and Metabolism of Fruits
- Crop Irrigation Regimes
- Cytogenetics and Plant Reproduction
- Dryland AgroEcology
- Biology and Biotechnology of Microalgae
- Epigenetics in Plant Stress Response and Breeding
- Runoff Agroforestry in Drylands
Opportunities on Completion
- Option to pursue Master’s degree program in Desert Studies at BGU, Israel, with a possibility of grant of Fellowship (Scholarship), as secured by 100% of our 1st Batch (2022-23)
- Access to the advanced research, development and implementation arena of Dryland Systems Management Studies and Applied Biotechnology
- Placement with some of India’s top Agri-Business Entities
Photo Gallery - Activities and Events
Testimonials from our 1st Batch Students (at the end of 1st Semester)
(Contact numbers can be obtained by emailing admin@abidat.in)
"Caught up with the courses without a clue of time, as the days went on, I realised that I wouldn't have found a better Program than this, which is of my interest! The thoroughly experienced Professors who know inside out in their fields have been coaching us, for the past Semester. I highly recommend this Program for the students who choose their career in Dryland Systems and related sciences."
- O. REXLEY CHARLES - 1st Batch PGCDS Student
"I have found the BGU Lectures to be very interesting! The BGU Faculty have a good rapport with us Students and are open to clearing doubts. The assignments and presentations have been highly useful as well."
- ZANETA PRARTHANA B. - PGCDS Student of Batch 2022-23
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