University of Padua

The University of Padua is one of the oldest in Italy and Europe and one of the leading universities in Italy for the quality of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and services. Numbers underline the size and importance of this University: 62.000 students, 2.057 teachers, 2.275 administrative technicians, 11.604 graduates in 2015, 32 departments, over 2 million books in 33 libraries, 78 bachelor’s degree courses, 81, master’s degree programmes, 11 single-cycle degree courses, 60 post-graduation vocational masters, 47 post-graduate schools, 38 advanced programmes, 3 advanced training courses, 36 doctorate courses, and 3 international doctorate courses. Courses held in the English language are constantly increasing as well as online support. The University of Padua is outstanding for the excellence of its research, to which it allocates significant funding.

The Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) was founded in 2012 by the fusion of teachers and administrative staff of the Departments of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Production, Agricultural Biotechnology and Animal Science. The mission of the Department is to promote the quality of human life, the competitiveness of the agri-food sector and the sustainable use of natural resources, biotic and abiotic, through the production and dissemination of knowledge on the management and improvement of plants, animals, soil and microorganisms for the production of quality food and biomass, ensuring the conservation of ecological systems, the protection of cultivated plants and enhancing the environment and biodiversity. In the agro-food industry, the close connections between environment, crop and animal production, biomass and food require integrated and interdisciplinary approach, vision and methods, therefore the DAFNAE Department develops excellent research and teaching in the fields of: plant, animal and microbial science and technology; soil; cultivation and livestock techniques; environmental sustainability of agro-livestock and food companies; biotechnologies in agriculture, food and environment; preservation and enhancement of environmental resources and biodiversity; technological properties of products; evaluation and enhancement of the quality of food. In the years 2013-2015, the DAFNAE Department has managed an average annual budget of 6 million euros. The Department has over 100 researchers (post-doctorates, scholarship holders, collaborators). The scientific work performed has led to 130 publications per years in ISI/-Scopus indexed journals. DAFNAE is the reference department for 11 courses, among which 5 bachelor’s degree courses and 6 master’s degree courses (including 2 held in English: Italian Food and Wine and Sustainable Agriculture), for a total of almost 2000 students.

The University of Padua relies on external conservation centres for the management of conserved breeds.

Project leader
Prof. Martino Cassandro
Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment
Viale Dell’Università, 16 – 35020 Legnaro (PD)
e-mail: martino.cassandro@unipd.it