Prof. Dr. Johannes Sauer, Dr. Maria Vrachioli, Dr. Roberto Villalba, and M.Sc. Juan Pablo Henao, members of our chair, recently organized an international student workshop hosted by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador. The workshop, titled “Agri-Environmental Economics: From Concepts to Interdisciplinary Applications”, brought together students and faculty from both institutions to explore how economic tools can be applied to pressing environmental and resource challenges.

Held in person at USFQ’s Campus in Cumbayá, the workshop combined theoretical foundations in environmental and resource economics with applied sessions on topics such as the bioeconomy, the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus, circular economy approaches, and climate change economics. Participants also received hands-on training in economic modelling and data analysis using R and Stata, as well as guidance on academic development and research design.

The program placed strong emphasis on real-world case studies from Europe, Latin America, and the Global South, including applications in agriculture, water management, fisheries, and climate-smart practices. Group work and student presentations fostered interdisciplinary thinking and active exchange between participants.

This workshop builds on the standing collaboration between TUM and USFQ, with the funding of BAYLAT, and reflects the Chair’s commitment to international cooperation, capacity building, and the integration of economic and ecological perspectives in agricultural and environmental research in the Global South.