Short Courses

Rice Research to Production

This three-week course at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines is supported through a National Science Foundation grant, coordinated by Cornell University Prof. Susan McCouch, Department of Plant Breeding.

Ten U.S. participants are selected to attend the course through a competitive application. The application and enrollment is managed by Cornell's International Programs Professional Development office.
The U.S. students are part of a group of 28 participants from other rice growing countries in the world. The purpose of the course is to create a new generation of plant scientists that are well networked into the international community and understand the importance of innovative plant science in addressing global problems. 2009 is the third year to offer this shortcourse. The course provided the participants with the following:

An understanding of the basics of rice production with field visits to the main rice production region in the Philippines;
Familiarity with the germplasm collection at IRRI and current issues related to germplasm exchange and property rights;
An appreciation of the research issues of IRRI and its development partners;
Hands-on skills relating to rice breeding, molecular genetic, and genomics;
An understanding of how to structure effective international collaborations; and
A plan and personal contacts to work effectively as part of the international research community in the future.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ricediversity.org/outreach/researchtoproduction

Capacity for training in the following areas:
Agricultural Extension and Community Development
Animal Health
Agricultural Policy (Farm Bill)
Biotechnology
Dairy Science
Distance Education Technology
Food Ingredients Technology
Food Safety (HACCP)
Natural Resource Management and Education
Good Agriculture Practices
Human and Animal Nutrition
Plant Diagnostics
Plant Breeding for grapes, strawberries, raspberries, apples
Post-harvest technology
Watershed Management

Course Training Methods:

Short term technical training; combining classroom, industry and field visits
Academic degree programs
In-country and third-country training
Training of trainers
Building training institutions
Study tours

Examples of recent training programs:
Agricultural Extension
Nanotechnology in Agriculture
Intellectual Property Rights
Development of Educational Materials for Small Farm Groups
Macroarray pathogen detection
Food Extrusion
Development of Shelf Stable Milk
Modern Agricultural Development [Word]
Botanical Gardens Design [Word]

Examples of past training materials for workshops:
Sustainable Agricultural, Environmental and Food Systems:
A Workshop for the World Bank SoilHealth [PowerPoint]

Videos
Dr. Harold Van Es What is Soil Health? [WMV]
Dr. Ellen Harrison Waste Management [WMV]
Nutrient Management SPEAR Program Demonstration [WMV]
Dr. Janice Thies Soil Health through Composting [WMV]
Dr. Harold Van Es Demonstration II [WMV]

Prearrival Information
Visas [Web Site]
Visitor Information, ie. Accommodations [Web Site]
Travel to Cornell and maps [Web Site]
Health and Insurance [Web Site]
Dependents [Web Site]

Language Requirement
Instruction is in English. The International Programs Office has arranged professional interpreters and translators for group training programs, in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish. Long term training participants enrolled in classes for credit as registered students must meet university minimum language requirements of a TOEFL score 215 computer based and 550 paper.

English Classes [Web Site]

Programs often designed in partnership with the sponsoring organizations are tailored to diverse professional development objectives, time availability and financial resources. Programs range from structured short courses to very flexible and less structured individualized training that provides a faculty mentor, access to university libraries and laboratories, and appropriate off-campus professional visits.

In addition to the resources available at the Ithaca and Geneva campuses, Cornell's extensive formal and informal networks provide trainees access to off-campus agricultural researchers and educators, private and public sector managers, and government officials. Also, overseas workshops and training programs are organized in response to the special requirements of sponsoring institutions.

International activities over the past century have included undergraduate and graduate education, professional exchanges, institutional building, and field based research and extension projects with partner institutions and governments in foreign countries. Scientists from CALS have traveled to Asia, Africa , Central and South America, Mexico, Eastern Europe , the Middle East, and the Pacific Rim to address rural development issues and help solve production problems for staple crops. In-country stakeholders include rural and urban dwellers, farmers, plant breeders, seed savers, pest management specialists, food processors, government policymakers, and university researchers.

Cost of Program: Cornell International Students and Scholars Office has set the minimum funding level for subsistence, ie. food, housing, local transportation and incidentals at $1,200 per person, per month. This does not include the cost of health insurance, travel to and from Ithaca, nor the cost of a professional development short course. The course cost varies depending on the nature of the project. Contact Francine Wilson Jasper for more information

Links to Funding
www.grants.gov/
www.nsf.gov/funding
gasepa.ag.ohio-state.edu

For more information:
Francine Wilson Jasper
Cornell Univ. International Programs/CALS
33 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Telephone: (607) 255-1907
Fax: (607) 255-1005
Email fj10@cornell.edu
ip.cals.cornell.edu/