Plant scientists are faced with numerous laws and regulations in their work environment. This course aims to provide a general introduction on European- and federal legislation and a compact overview of the most important legislations from the viewpoint of a plant scientist.

This online course is laid out in four sections each covering one topic of plant-science related legislation. Starting on October 5^th, one section will be made available per week. Course participants can work through each section at their own pace. We estimate a time requirement of 1.5 to 2 hours per week to work through the videos and the accompanying materials.

Content:

Week 1           General Introduction on European- and Federal Legislation
                       (Tristan Lemke, Law Faculty, University Potsdam)

Week 2           EU Genetic Engineering Legislation
                       (Jens Kahrmann, Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit)

Week 3           Patent Law and Plant Variety Law
                       (Dr. Steffen Kawelke, Gemeinschaft zur Förderung von Pflanzeninnovation e. V.)

Week 4           Nagoya-Protocol
                       (Dr. Thomas Greiber, Bundesamt für Naturschutz)
                       Copyright and Media Law
                       (Claudia Gips, Specialist lawyer for copyright and publishing law)

The online course will be concluded by a short voluntary multiple choice test. Participants who successfully complete this test will receive a certificate of participation for the course.

We believe that our “Legal Basics for Plant Scientists” course is of interest to a wide audience. The course is therefore open to all plant scientists independent of their funding source or career level. Participation is free of charge.