The MSc Agricultural Technology and Innovation programme has been selected because farming in the extreme environment found in Uzbekistan and across Middle Asia requires high-tech precision approaches to production, at both the field and controlled-environment scale. Developments in sensors, robotics, automation, analytics and telematics are enabling new and sophisticated approaches to manage agricultural practices.

Students completing this programme will thus gain a comprehensive appreciation of the wide range of new and innovative technologies in the areas of crop production, livestock production, and management of the natural environment. Reflecting Uzbekistan’s specific requirements, the programme will also address aspects of agricultural biotechnology, as well as introduce students to vertical and other forms of controlled environment production.

All Masters students will have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and business management. Advances in the agricultural sector, and the way in which growers are now changing their mentality to crop growth, has created a growing demand for new intellectual and technological skill set. Developments in sensors, robotics, automation, analytics and telematics are enabling new and sophisticated ways of managing agricultural practices.

These technologies such as real-time farm monitoring, weather forecasting, optimal field requirements and other innovative technologies enable growers to increase the yield with minimum human efforts and wastage. Moreover, the technology enables farmers to manage their resources as well as access real-time information through their smartphones, thereby offering greater mobility and ease of operation. However, major restraints of the market are affordability and accessibility of the technology, and lack of awareness about the benefits of precision agriculture among farmers, particularly in developing countries.

There are escalating issues over the sustainable supply of production resources such as water, soil and fertilisers. Increased precision and more adaptable management of these have the potential to make a positive contribution in conserving such essential inputs, whilst minimising the expenditure of carbon the capture of environmental data and its rapid and accurate interpretation may also provide opportunities for more effective and timely management of natural land, wild and undeveloped area.  The combination of scale and precision will reduce the requirements of unskilled labour and will increase the demand for highly skilled specialists in the field of digital agriculture.

Forward-looking businesses will need talented, well-educated and skilful recruits capable of making effective contributions to business projects from the outset of their careers.