CANR signs long-term agreement with Northern Ireland College of Agriculture Food, Rural Enterprise
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EmailFor the past two decades, Michigan State University (MSU) and Northern Ireland students have benefitted from a unique exchange program.
For the past two decades, Michigan State University (MSU) and Northern Ireland students have benefitted from a unique exchange program.
Representatives from the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and the College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in Northern Ireland recently re-signed an endowment and student exchange agreement that will extend the exchange program well into the future. The new agreement will extend the opportunity to more students and will include faculty and staff development opportunities.
“While the opportunity for traditional study abroad has always been a part of our agreement, the new agreement features more opportunities for faculty sabbaticals, collaborative research, transfer and exchanges of technical expertise,” said Kelly Millenbah, associate dean and director of academic and student affairs in the CANR.
More than 100 students have benefited from this exchange program to date, Millenbah said. The exchange agreement with CAFRE will provide the opportunity for more CANR students to study abroad.
“We are particularly interested in exploring possibilities for our Institute of Agricultural Technology students to study with CAFRE,” she said. “We’re really excited about the hands-on or experiential learning available at the CAFRE campuses.”
Studying abroad is an important part of university life, said Rhonda Crackel, CANR director of study abroad.
“Studying abroad can give students a new perspective on their major and provide them with country or culture-specific academic content not available here at home,” she said.
Crackel said students also benefit personally from studying abroad by stepping outside their comfort zones and seeing the world through the eyes of others. Students often form lasting friendships while abroad and may return home with a better understanding of themselves and their own culture.
“There is good reason this agreement has stood for 20 years. It’s more than a memorandum of understanding because it involves endowment and student exchange,” Millenbah said. “Both universities have strong agriculture programs and our students are successful. We’re proud to work with CAFRE on this well into the future.”
