Rebuilding Agriculture Higher
Education In Afghanistan
Rick Foster
Department of Entomology
Purdue University
Purdue University –
Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4)
• Purdue University
• USAID A4 May 2007, USAID/USDA since 2005
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–
–
Main office, staff at Kabul University
Partner staff in Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar
5 Expat, 2 Afghan
• Collaboration
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–
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US Universities (Univ. California-Davis, Cornell Univ., Kansas State Univ. Texas A & M)
Indian Universities (Univ. of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore; Karnataka Veterinary, Animal & Fisheries
Sciences Univ.) and seeking others
Partner NGOs (Catholic Relief Services, Jesuit Assistance, Joint Development Associates, International
Foundation of Hope, Mercy Corps, and others)
Purdue University –
Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4)
Strategic focus
• Agriculture Education Capacity Building
– Faculty development
• Staff education abroad
• Course content improvement
• Develop of applied research opportunities
– Student applied education
• Internships, job placement
• Co-curricular educational modules
– Laboratories, Field Projects
– Workshops, Seminars
Staff Education Abroad
Faculty Education
– MS degree program for junior faculty
» UAS, Bangalore
7 Kabul, 33 other Afghan universities
» Purdue University
7 Kabul, 6 other Afghan universities
– Education for senior faculty
» University farm development, ICARDA
» Faculty Exchange
Purdue, Cornell, UC Davis, Texas A & M
Purdue University –
Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4)
• Applied Research
CIMMYT Collaboration
– Experimental plots
– 30-variety wheat trial
– Seminars
• Student Farm
Development
– Student
engagement
– Link to course work
– Link to workplace
needs
Fruit
Vegetables
Sunflower /
Herbs
X
X
X
X
Student
Farm
Wheat /
Grains
X
X
Flowers
X
Maize /
Legumes
Forage
Purdue University –
Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance (A4)
• Farm Linked to
Women Student
Development
– Horticulture field
workshops
– ICARDA Women’s
Mint Association
– MEDA women in
extension
My Involvement in Afghanistan:
An Example of Faculty Participation
• 2007 – Hosted Prof. Hamed Osmankhil,
entomologist from Kabul for fall semester
– Student in Dr. Chris Oseto’s General
Entomology Class
– Attended many Extension meetings
• 2008 – Hosted Prof. Mohammad Salim
Rahimi, entomologist for Kabul for fall
semester
– Student in my Integrated Pest Management
class and Dr. Oseto’s class
Goals of Faculty Exchange
Program
• Update knowledge of subject matter
• Improve teaching skills by observing US
faculty members
• Develop improved class syllabi and course
materials
November 2008
• Participated in week long review of
agriculture curriculum at Kabul and several
other universities
– Professor Thomas Rost, UC-Davis
– Professor John Duxbury, Cornell
– Dr. Wolfgang Pittroff, Idar-Obersten, Germany
Sample of Recommendations
• Determine who employs graduates and
what skills do the employers want them to
have
• Development of improved syllabi
• Development of laboratory and field
exercises
• Increase requirements for students to
develop critical thinking and problem
solving skills
Summer, 2009
• Six young faculty members participated in
a 6 week training program in pest
diagnostics at Purdue
– Insects
– Pathogens
– Weeds
– English language training
September, 2009
• Conducted 3-day
workshops on
Integrated Pest
Management to
students at Kabul
and Herat
Universities
Winter/Spring 2010
• Hosted Borlaug Fellow from Nangarhar
– Participated in horticultural classes
– Attended Extension meetings
– Participated in field and greenhouse research
– Interacted with US and other graduate
students
June, 2010
• Along with Dr. Chris Oseto, taught 5 day
workshop in Kabul on insect collecting,
preservation, and identification to young
faculty members
– 19 attendees from 9 Afghan universities
– Goal was for faculty to leave workshop with
the beginning of an insect collection that they
could use in their classes
Additional Activities
• Currently serving on Afghan student
graduate committees; Ag Econ and Hort
• Train National Guard Agribusiness
Development Teams prior to deployment
• Working with various groups to reduce the
impact of insects on stored grains
Summary
• Goal is to build the capacity of Afghan
faculty members so that they can provide
their students with a quality education that
will meet the needs of future employers
and of their country
• Example from first trip to Afghanistan
We Need Education!!!