1 / 20

Rebuilding Agriculture Higher Education In Afghanistan

Rebuilding Agriculture Higher Education In Afghanistan. Rick Foster Department of Entomology Purdue University. Purdue University – Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4). Purdue University USAID A4 May 2007, USAID/USDA since 2005 Main office, staff at Kabul University

candid
Download Presentation

Rebuilding Agriculture Higher Education In Afghanistan

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Rebuilding Agriculture Higher Education In Afghanistan Rick Foster Department of Entomology Purdue University

  2. Purdue University –Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4) • Purdue University • USAID A4 May 2007, USAID/USDA since 2005 • Main office, staff at Kabul University • Partner staff in Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar • 5 Expat, 2 Afghan • Collaboration • US Universities (Univ. California-Davis, Cornell Univ., Kansas State Univ. Texas A & M) • Indian Universities (Univ. of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore; Karnataka Veterinary, Animal & Fisheries Sciences Univ.) and seeking others • Partner NGOs (Catholic Relief Services, Jesuit Assistance, Joint Development Associates, International Foundation of Hope, Mercy Corps, and others)

  3. Purdue University –Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4) • Agriculture Education Capacity Building • Faculty development • Staff education abroad • Course content improvement • Develop of applied research opportunities • Student applied education • Internships, job placement • Co-curricular educational modules • Laboratories, Field Projects • Workshops, Seminars Strategic focus

  4. Staff Education Abroad Faculty Education • MS degree program for junior faculty • UAS, Bangalore 7 Kabul, 33 other Afghan universities • Purdue University 7 Kabul, 6 other Afghan universities • Education for senior faculty • University farm development, ICARDA • Faculty Exchange Purdue, Cornell, UC Davis, Texas A & M

  5. Purdue University – Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4) • Applied Research CIMMYT Collaboration • Experimental plots • 30-variety wheat trial • Seminars

  6. Student Farm Development • Student engagement • Link to course work • Link to workplace needs Compost Barn Faculty Building Shed Greenhouse Fruit Bee hives Vegetables Sunflower / Herbs Student Farm X X Maize / Legumes X X Wheat / Grains Forage X X Flowers X

  7. Purdue University – Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4) • Farm Linked to Women Student Development • Horticulture field workshops • ICARDA Women’s Mint Association • MEDA women in extension

  8. My Involvement in Afghanistan:An Example of Faculty Participation • 2007 – Hosted Prof. Hamed Osmankhil, entomologist from Kabul for fall semester • Student in Dr. Chris Oseto’s General Entomology Class • Attended many Extension meetings • 2008 – Hosted Prof. Mohammad Salim Rahimi, entomologist for Kabul for fall semester • Student in my Integrated Pest Management class and Dr. Oseto’s class

  9. Goals of Faculty Exchange Program • Update knowledge of subject matter • Improve teaching skills by observing US faculty members • Develop improved class syllabi and course materials

  10. November 2008 • Participated in week long review of agriculture curriculum at Kabul and several other universities • Professor Thomas Rost, UC-Davis • Professor John Duxbury, Cornell • Dr. Wolfgang Pittroff, Idar-Obersten, Germany

  11. Sample of Recommendations • Determine who employs graduates and what skills do the employers want them to have • Development of improved syllabi • Development of laboratory and field exercises • Increase requirements for students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills

  12. Summer, 2009 • Six young faculty members participated in a 6 week training program in pest diagnostics at Purdue • Insects • Pathogens • Weeds • English language training

  13. September, 2009 • Conducted 3-day workshops on Integrated Pest Management to students at Kabul and Herat Universities

  14. Winter/Spring 2010 • Hosted Borlaug Fellow from Nangarhar • Participated in horticultural classes • Attended Extension meetings • Participated in field and greenhouse research • Interacted with US and other graduate students

  15. June, 2010 • Along with Dr. Chris Oseto, taught 5 day workshop in Kabul on insect collecting, preservation, and identification to young faculty members • 19 attendees from 9 Afghan universities • Goal was for faculty to leave workshop with the beginning of an insect collection that they could use in their classes

  16. Additional Activities • Currently serving on Afghan student graduate committees; Ag Econ and Hort • Train National Guard Agribusiness Development Teams prior to deployment • Working with various groups to reduce the impact of insects on stored grains

  17. Summary • Goal is to build the capacity of Afghan faculty members so that they can provide their students with a quality education that will meet the needs of future employers and of their country • Example from first trip to Afghanistan

  18. We Need Education!!!

More Related