LUDHIANA, MAY 29:—–A four-member delegation from Ohio State University (OSU), USA and Egerton University (EU), Kenya, which is on a visit to the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), discussed the strategies for the development, formulation and implementation of the trilateral partnership with the PAU. The visiting delegation interacted with the PAU Director of Research, Dr S.S. Gosal, Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Gursharan Singh, Technical Advisor to the PAU Vice- Chancellor-cum Additional Director Research (Food Science, Nutrition and Engineering) Dr P.K. Khanna, Additional Director of Research (Natural Resource Management and Plant Protection), Dr T.S. Thind, Additional Director Research (Horticulture) Dr H.S. Dhaliwal, Additional Director Communication, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, and Head of the Department of Business Management, Dr Sandeep Kapur.
Referring to the collaborative areas, the delegates including J. Mark Erbaugh, Director, International Programmes in Agriculture, OSU and David O. Hansen, Senior Fellow, Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, USA, said that there is a need to identify priority areas and design interventions to take the new joint venture forward. They expressed interest in having coordination and cooperation in curriculum development with thrust on learning and teaching methodology. J. Erbaugh added that under the key area of value chain analysis, it is vital to have in-depth understanding of its concept, application, implications, assessment and management for the introduction of a course in a particular field. In addition, exchange of students, especially undergraduates and faculty, is among the other focus areas to promote students’ learning, enhance their income, nurture their intellectual skills and utilize the expertise of the faculty of the respective institutes, said D. Hansen. The e-learning also has a scope under the proposed collaborative plan, said he.
The delegation members namely, Ms Susan Waage, International Agricultural Development Specialist, United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Services and Prof. Alexander K. Kahi, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, EU, said that under the collaborative research and technology exchange, the potential areas include that of plant clinic, mushroom cultivation, apiculture (bee-keeping), organic farming, soil and water testing, protected cultivation and development of Farmers’ Service and Knowledge Centre. Besides, they laid emphasis on post-harvest management, food processing, marketing, fodder for dairy, silage, genomic breeding, private sector linkages and Development of Business Centre for strengthening the relations.
The PAU experts suggested that proper plan, policies and draft need to be prepared for the carrying the cooperative venture forward for signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) for trilateral partnership in mutually beneficial identified areas. A draft MoU was discussed by the participating officials.
