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McNamara Leads Third Student Trip to Sierra Leone

The rice paddies of Sierra Leone served as the setting for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a group of University of Illinois students who have returned inspired to use their future degrees on an international scale. The 11 students led by Dr. Paul McNamara, ACES professor of agricultural and consumer economics, welcomed the New Year in Sierra Leone before using their knowledge and education to help improve the livelihoods of the Sierra Leone people, who continue to re-build their country after a civil war that ended in 2001.

Chinese Academy of Sciences Seeks Partnership with ACES

OIP hosted a high-profile delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from the People’s Republic of China. The group spent a day on our campus visiting with leaders and faculty from the College of ACES and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The discussion centered on developing a strong partnership between the Academy and the Department of Animal Sciences, as well as future joint research ventures. Dr. Neal Merchen, Head of the Department of Animal Sciences, noted that the CAS visit was highly successful and he was looking forward to greater collaborations between his department and CAS.

Korban Participates in the Middle East Water Livelihood Initiative (WLI) Project

Dr. Schuyler Korban, Director of International Programs, participated in the Middle East Water Livelihood Initiative (WLI) annual meeting that was held in Amman, Jordan during December 2011.

Record Enrollment Expected for Zhejiang – ACES Award-Winning Summer Research Program

OIP is excited to announce that China’s Zhejiang University (ZJU) is planning to enroll 32 students in the College of ACES’ summer research program in 2012. This annual six-week program is in its third year. Last summer 16 students from Zhejiang completed the program. The program includes individualized work with an ACES faculty mentor to complete a research project, industry-focused field trips, and social and cultural activities.

ZJU recently named the UIUC-ZJU summer research program as its best Study-abroad program. This honor is a testament to OIP’s program coordination and the strong support the program receives from ACES faculty. OIP looks forward to expanding the participation of ACES faculty in this outstanding program.
 

Faculty Feature: Dr. Hans Blaschek and the Global Industrialization of Biofuels

Biofuels have the potential to address international issues such as climate change, rising energy costs, and fuel shortages; however, a global debate on their production and use is ongoing. Dr. Hans Blaschek is a Professor of Food Microbiology/Biotechnology in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition who specializes in biofuels and has recently authored two textbooks on this topic.

NSRL Sponsors Nutrition Fair at Honduras Elementary School

Hundreds of excited elementary students at the Republic de Honduras School in San Pedro Sula enjoyed a day of dancing, singing and learning at a health fair centered on nutrition in early November. Cargill, Alcon, and Pollo Norteno sponsored the event in collaboration with the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL), CARE, Cepudo, and the World Soy Foundation.

OIP Bids Farewell to Carly Rakes

The Office of International Programs (OIP) said goodbye and good luck to its Graduate Assistant Carly Rakes, who has been working in the office since August 2010. Carly organized the 2011 Zhejiang student summer program. She also assisted with international visitor programs, as well as the OIP newsletter and website.

OIP Hosts Delegation from China Agricultural University

A 12-member delegation from China Agricultural University (CAU) visited the Urbana-Champaign campus on October 31 - November 1, 2011. The CAU group included a diverse mix of Directors from various administrative offices of CAU and Deans from its College of Engineering and College of Science. Also traveling with the group were 10 representatives from Shandong Kingenta Ecological Engineering Co., Ltd., which specializes in R&D, manufacturing, and marketing of compound fertilizers, controlled release fertilizers, and new types of fertilizers.

Singh Elected as 2012 Foreign Fellow to NAAS, India

Dr. Ram Singh, an agronomist in soybean cytogentics in the Department of Crop Sciences, has been elected as a Foreign Fellow to the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), New Delhi, India. The award ceremony will be held on June 5, 2012, in New Delhi.

MEAS Program Starts Strong

Since its selection in October 2010 as the lead institution for the five-year, $9 million Modernize Extension and Advisory Systems (MEAS) project, granted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U of I along with its consortium partners have already made notable progress towards the project’s goals, which include the strategic analysis of the activities and investments needed to strengthen the extension system in 20 of the poorest developing countries.

Dr. John Santas Celebrates 33 Years with the College of ACES

Dr. John W. Santas, Assistant Dean Emeritus for special projects in the ACES Office of International Programs, has officially “re-retired” and is celebrating 33 years of exemplary service within the College of ACES through international education and training.

India's Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Visits UIUC

India's Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Prabeer Kumar Basu visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, to learn about current research activities in agriculture, specifically in biotechnology, and how the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) effectively delivers innovative technologies to industry and end users.  

2011 World Food Prize Winners

On Tuesday, June 21, the 2011 World Food Prize Winners were announced in the State Department. Two former Presidents, H.E. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana, are this year's laureates. They will be honored and receive the awards in Des Moines, IA at the 25th World Food Prize meetings on October 12-14. Visit www.worldfoodprize.org for details.

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The objective for Modernizing Extension and Advisory Services (MEAS) is to define and disseminate good practice strategies and approaches to establishing efficient, effective, and financially sustainable rural extension and advisory systems in select countries. MEAS newsletters share success stories worldwide. To sign up for the newsletter, go to https://ecommerce.aces.illinois.edu/MEAS.