U of A Division of Agriculture, Bumpers College celebrate 15-year academic and research pact with Ghent University
By Robby Edwards
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Fast Facts:
- U of A, Belgium’s Ghent University celebrate 15-year partnership
- Program promotes student and faculty exchanges, international degrees
- Partnership also supports research collaboration
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture this week hosted four faculty members from Belgium’s Ghent University, celebrating 15 years of cooperative research and education between Ghent and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
The two-day meeting at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, taking place Thursday and today, celebrated both a long-running student exchange program and successful faculty collaboration. The agenda also included an evaluation of the current status of the partnership, with a view toward how it might be enhanced in the future. This involves developing new creative ventures to improve student experiences and research, and further strengthen ties between the institutions.
The event represents a unique opportunity for students to learn about novel international study opportunities, and for faculty to network and develop research collaborations with leading Ghent researchers.
"Our collaboration with Ghent University has been very productive with close to $1 million in funding from the EU-US Atlantis Program Mobility Grant, which allowed about 100 student exchanges, 50 joint-publications, 14 short courses, and several study abroad programs during the past 15 years," said Jeyamkondan Subbiah, head of the department of food science. "We are excited to celebrate our collaboration and explore future opportunities."
Study abroad opportunities include a range of options from a short two-week “Sustainability Course” at Ghent, coordinated through Bumpers College and the University of Arkansas College of Engineering, to semester-long experiences or longer as part of a dual-degree program or a “stand-alone” research experience as part of an honors project, master's degree thesis or doctoral work.
The relationship began around 2004 with the federally funded program for a dual-degree program in agricultural economics and bioresources student exchange program and short courses, which involved students and faculty across campus. These programs have continued despite conclusion of grants due to termination of the federal program. The meeting will focus on planning imaginative international programs for the coming years.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearchand Instagram at ArkAgResearch.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Media Contact: Fred Miller
U of A Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 575-5647
fmiller@uark.edu
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