Higher School of Saharan Agriculture – El oued

Symposium Introduction:
The Higher School of Saharan Agriculture in El Oued organized the First National Symposium on "Saharan Agriculture: Challenges and Potentials", held over two days on 26-27 November 2023.
The scientific and developmental event was supervised by Professor Elhabib GUEDDA, director of the Higher School, and chaired by Professor Sofiane SEGGAI, President of the symposium.It was attended by seniors officials from the University of El Oued, including the Director of the Higher School of Teachers in Ouargla, the Vice- Rectors for Pedagogy and Scientific Research, the Deans of the University's faculties, the Secretary General of the School, and several executive directors of the province representing the sectors of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, the National Office of Agricultural Lands, and water resources and irrigation.
The event also witnessed the active participation of the academic community of the School, including faculty members and students, as well as professors from various higher education institutions, in addition to members of the scientific and organizing committees of the symposium.
On the sidelines of the symposium, cooperation agreements were signed between the Higher School and a number of institutes and specialized bodies in the field of Saharan agriculture, including:
- The National Institute of Agricultural Extension
- The Technical Institute for the Development of Saharan Agriculture
- The Commissioner for Agricultural Development in Saharan Regions
-The Scientific and Technical Research Center for Arid Regions
- The National Institute for Plant Protection
In his opening address, Professor Elhabib GUEDDA, Director of the Higher School of Saharan Agriculture, extended a warm welcome to all attendees and participants. He expressed his appreciation to the researchers taking part in this scientific event and conveyed his best wishes for its success, emphasizing the expected academic and professional benefits for the School's students.
The Director underscored the importance of the visits of His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of the Knowledge Economy, Start-ups, and Micro-Enterprises, noting their recognition of the School's strategic role in enhancing and valorizing the agricultural potential of the province. He highlighted the contribution of the School to the development and modernization of agricultural activity in the region.
He further outlined the objectives of the cooperation agreements concluded on the occasion of the symposium, which are fully aligned with the orientations of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. These agreements aim to strengthen cooperation frameworks between the School and academic and professional stakeholders, promote agricultural development, contribute to regional economic growth, and support wealth creation.
In addition, Professor GUEDDA emphasized the importance of providing diverse training and internship opportunities for students, allowing them to gain exposure to modern expertise and recent scientific research in Saharan agriculture. He also stressed the active involvement of students in research activities, the strengthening of links with contemporary scientific outputs, and the enhancement of their awareness of the role of agriculture in economic development and food security. Moreover, he highlighted the role of scientific research in addressing the needs of agricultural stakeholders in the region.
Through its various thematic axes, the symposium seeks to advance the mission of the Higher School of Saharan Agriculture by contributing to the development and modernization of the agricultural sector in the region, while highlighting the significance of higher education and specialized training in achieving sustainable agricultural sector in the region, while highlighting the significance of higher education and specialized training in achieving sustainable agricultural development.
Following these remarks, the Director officially declared the opening of the symposium proceedings.
In his address, the president of the Symposium presented the main thematic axes and objectives of the event, supported by a set of key statistics. He noted that the Scientific Committee received more than 169 scholarly submissions from various higher education institutions, all addressing the symposium's core themes.
These contributions were organized around four main axes: first, the importance of agriculture in the national economy; second, agriculture in the Algerian Sahara: experiences and successful practices; third, date palm cultivation: its status and current reality; and fourth, biodiversity and the modernization of the agricultural sector.
The symposium's various workshops were marked by active scientific and research engagement from the School's students and faculty members, as well as constructive discussions among the participating scholars.
Symposium Program