Dutch share mushroom knowledge in online course

The Netherlands has a great deal of expertise in mushroom growing. The international market looks to the Dutch when it comes to cultivation, crop protection, harvesting-related activities, certification, company management and profit optimisation. In order to actively bring this expertise to the international market, HAS University of Applied Sciences and Delphy have set up a new online course (SPOC), entitled ‘Mushrooms’. And, because the course is online, people from all over the world can follow it.

SPOC stands for Small Private Online Course: the course is given in an online environment. “The course is meant for everyone who wants to know more about any of the above-mentioned aspects of mushroom cultivation,” says Anouk van Rossum of HAS University of Applied Sciences. “The approach is practical and uses different teaching methods: from videos and short articles, to practical assignments and interaction with other students and lecturers.”

Two parties strengthen one another
HAS University of Applied Sciences and Delphy have been working together for some time. The 2 parties also jointly offer the ‘Growing with light’ course, and also collaborate on a number of research projects from the full-time study programmes. This new course is a next step in this cooperation. Van Rossum: “Delphy is the expert in mushroom cultivation within the course. HAS University of Applied Sciences takes care of the educational and commercial aspects of the course contents. This how we strengthen one another within the new course.”

Unique course
“This SPOC course is unique because participants are able to put in their own cultivation graphs and figures, together with the course teacher improvements will be implemented during the course”, says Jan Gielen, consultant mushrooms of Delphy. “The course is closely related to the international demand for knowledge in mushroom growing. This course is eminently suitable as a basis for everyone who’s working in the sector of mushrooms like mushroom growers as well as for suppliers.

Mushroom-related activities
Delphy has a global reputation when it comes to advising on cultivating mushrooms, and provides courses as well as basic and advanced training in composting and cultivation. The company is also responsible for the renowned Professional School of Mushroom Cultivation. Increasingly more and more theme-based courses or training programmes are also being given in specific fields of expertise within the cultivation sector. For HAS University of Applied Sciences, this is the first course specifically aimed at mushrooms. However, the subject is not new to HAS as it often comes up in the full-time study programmes of Horticulture & Arable Farming and Business Administration & Agribusiness. In addition, HAS University of Applied Sciences is also involved in the development of Mushroom Valley, a brand-new platform consisting of 16 mushroom companies and 3 educational institutions who, by joining forces, are looking to strengthen the mushroom sector in the north of the southern Dutch province of Limburg.

For more information:
www.haskennistransfer.nl/online-course-mushrooms-spoc