Sept. 23, 2008
USDA grant, matching funds provide nearly $135,000 to immerse students in global agriculture
MARTIN – The Office of International Science and Education Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the University of Tennessee at Martin has been awarded $99,999 for a Global Agriculture Leadership Incubator Project (GALIP). With additional funds provided by UT Martin, the total project amount is $134,999.
Dr. Joseph Mehlhorn, professor of agricultural economics, will serve as project director of this pilot model for internationalizing the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources curriculum. Mehlhorn worked with Andrew Brown, assistant director for international initiatives, UT Martin Center for Global Studies and International Education, and Dr. Bonnie Daniel, senior research associate, UT Martin Office of Research, Grants and Contracts, to develop the proposal. Brown will serve as evaluator of the project.
“The GALIP grant program will allow UT Martin students and faculty to gain valuable experience in international agriculture trade issues,” said Mehlhorn. “In today’s global agriculture marketplace, it is essential to have an understanding of social, economic and technological factors facing consumers and producers in other countries.
“This is a chance of a lifetime for our students to experience another culture and learn another language,” he added. “This will enable UT Martin students to be more marketable for international jobs in agriculture. The program will also allow faculty members to better incorporate international issues into the curriculum.”
While this project will work specifically with the University of Guanajuato and Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Mexico, this model can be modified for application in other countries in the future. Participating students will earn an International Agriculture Certificate through 18 hours of coursework in agriculture topics, language and travel study. Students and faculty will spend four weeks in Mexico in an intensive, language immersion experience.
The following fall, students, faculty and agribusiness leaders will return to Mexico for one week and will present case studies. Back in the U.S., students will present their international case studies at regional professional conferences and at vocational agriculture programs at local schools. GALIP participants will increase their cross-cultural competence, and the revised curriculum will create new forums of dialogue about international agriculture issues.
“My experience in Mexico through the agriculture travel study trip was great,” said Nicholas Lewis, junior agribusiness major from Ocoee, Tenn., who is participating in the program.
“While in Mexico I learned so much about production agriculture and how Mexican agriculture impacts U.S. markets. I also gained valuable experience about how cultural differences impact marketing agricultural products. I enjoyed the experience and cannot wait to go back again with the GALIP program this summer.”
Mehlhorn added, “Mexico is one of the largest trading partners to the U.S. and is vitally important to U.S. consumers. There is a great deal we can learn from studying Mexican agriculture that can make our producers and agribusinesses more competitive in the global marketplace. By understanding Mexican consumers and producers, we can better target our products for their market and increase the flow of goods between our two nations. This is truly a unique opportunity for students.”
For more information, contact Mehlhorn at 731-881-7257 or mehlhorn@utm.edu.
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