Students at LSU have a little over one month of the new academic year under their belts. And for seven international graduate students, it is the beginning of a long process – earning their doctorates, then returning home with hopes of sparking much-needed change in farming practices and policies.
The students, who have worked as university lecturers and government employees, are part of the Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) program. It is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by Michigan State University.
“It is an honor for the LSU AgCenter to have been selected as the host training institution for the BHEARD scholars,” said David Picha, director of AgCenter International Programs. “Our ability to contribute to the human resource capacity building of these future leaders will in turn facilitate their efforts to enhance the lives and livelihoods of numerous individuals throughout the world.”
The students will complete coursework on LSU’s campus and then return to their home countries to do a research project under their faculty adviser’s supervision. LSU will grant their degrees.