Human resource development has been a key to the LSU AgCenter’s success. The history of international cooperation and development training can be traced back to the turn of the century. In 1918, participants from the Philippines received training in rice production at the Rice Research Station. Since that time, the LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture have trained participants from all over the world in agriculture-related disciplines. Excellent opportunities in academic and non-academic training programs are available.
In cooperation with the LSU College of Agriculture, a wide array of academic programs are available in the agricultural sciences. Through its divisions, the LSU AgCenter coordinates programs to develop the state’s agriculture and natural resources, including forestry and fisheries, and to provide off-campus extension education programs that disseminate technological, economic and management information to the multi-billion dollar agricultural industries. The LSU AgCenter directly addresses economic development of our natural resources through sustainable production and value-added products.
The LSU AgCenter in cooperation with the LSU College of Agriculture can coordinate academic programs in agricultural fields that are to be implemented particularly in areas relevant to the host country, as well as matching our programs of excellence. For decades, the LSU AgCenter has designed, developed and managed a variety of non-academic training programs. These programs, developed at the request of donor agencies, have had great response from both the donor agencies and the participants. Examples include: aquaculture, horticultural crop management, horticultural postharvest technology, sugarcane breeding, sugarcane processing and production, sugarcane technology, embryo transfer, grain marketing, rice production, rice processing, rice milling, rice drying and storage technology, rice quality control, rice by-product utilization, as well as many others. These short-term technical training programs are administered by teaching faculty in the College of Agriculture and research faculty and staff from the LSU AgCenter with support from International Programs.
For more information, please contact Lakshman Velupillai at lvelupillai@agcenter.lsu.edu or Dawn Humble at dhumble@agcenter.lsu.edu.