Agricultural Higher Education Research Articles

Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education: Insights from Black faculty and administrators in agricultural colleges at United States land grant institutions

The experiences of Black faculty as leaders and administrators in the field of agriculture have not been widely studied nor reported. The goal of this research focused on Black faculty leaders' experiences in agriculture to gain firsthand insights regarding the enhancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. The central research question guiding the study was: What are the experiences of Black faculty leaders at Colleges of Agriculture at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)? Counter-storytelling was used to explore the personal narratives of eight participants. These experiences fall within the tenets of Critical Race Theory. Three primary themes emerged: Navigating Leadership: Microaggressions in the Midst; Inequities: Is Everyone Really Equal; and Isolation: The Lone Ranger. Findings of this study hold valuable implications for practitioners, policymakers, and academic institutions seeking to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. Recommendations for policy and practice include providing support for leadership mentoring and professional development, conducting robust research on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender for faculty of color, and establishing collaborative initiatives between academic institutions, industry partners, and community organizations to address historical disparities and stimulate interest in agriculture among Black communities.

AZ ÚJRAKEZDÉS KÖVETE: BENCSIK ISTVÁN (1953-1970) /DEBRECENI AGRÁRFELSŐOKTATÁS/ (1910-1998)

Agriculture played a significant role in consolidating the domestic political system after 1956. The rapid development of the Hungarian agricultural sector's performance contributed significantly to the country's relations with the economically developed regions of the world, with the so-called Hungarian model incorporating backyard farming into large-scale agriculture. However, this progress was achieved through an arduous road to development, resulting in internationally recognised vocational training standards in agriculture, particularly in higher agricultural education. Since the second half of the 1960s, there has been a noticeable development in the agricultural sector in Hungary. It has managed to preserve the creative traditions of its historical peasantry to a certain extent. The Debrecen agricultural higher education had a decisive role in the ambitious development of Hungarian agriculture. István Bencsik was an outstanding player in this process, actively contributing to the material and intellectual foundation of higher education in Debrecen. His work later impacted the agriculture of Tiszántúl and the wider region.

REMEMBERING GYULA WALLESHAUSEN (19232010) RESEARCHER OF THE NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, we commemorate Gyula Walleshausen, an outstanding and dedicated authority in the Hungarian librarianship and the first great generation of librarians after 1945, and in addition, one of the most important researchers in the history of Hungarian agricultural education, agricultural higher education and agricultural vocational training. In the course of his work as a librarian and historian, he respected, analysed with his competent knowledge and transformed the historical values of the past into volumes with scientific precision, thus preserving and handing them down to posterity. His writings on librarianship and university history are indispensable, important basic works for anyone researching a subject he studied or anyone who is simply interested in the history of a library issue, institution or discipline. In this article, we commemorate his entire career and his work, but above all his work as an agricultural historian.

National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS): Diagnosis, Gaps, and Mapping of Actors

This article examines the diagnosis of the Agricultural Innovation System (SIA) in the department of Tolima, Colombia, as part of a project led by the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Technological University of Pereira (TUP), which also evaluated the National Agricultural Innovation System (NAIS) in regions such as Chocó, Bolívar, and Meta. A methodology was used that involved a survey with 58 questions on a Likert scale with 300 participants, evaluated with congruence and relevance indexes, identifying key variables in the operation of the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS). A survey was applied to map actors in the National Innovation System for Higher Education in Agriculture, as well as the participating actors in the regional agricultural innovation systems of Tolima to identify gaps in extension, innovation, development, sustainability, information technology (TI), education, and training. Among the conclusions, it stands out that the associativity subsystem presents the lowest performance and is close to a score of two on the scale of gaps. An evaluation was carried out among the five subsystems, including extension, TI, environmental aspects, and public policy. The department of Tolima shows low performance in innovation and TI, while their extension performance is less weak. In Chaparral, there is a general lag, with innovation being the worst evaluated subsystem. Rovira obtains high scores in most subsystems, although innovation and TI have lower scores. At the national and regional levels, innovation is low, and communication among the NARS actors is insufficient, which highlights the need to promote good practices, strategies, and projects.

Students' career choices: An exploratory study on the influence of socio-demographic variables on higher agricultural education in India

Students' career choices: An exploratory study on the influence of socio-demographic variables on higher agricultural education in India

Academia-Industry Linkages for Sustainable Innovation in Agriculture Higher Education in India

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Bank have collaborated on a project entitled the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) to improve agricultural higher education in India, paving the way for sustainable higher education in agriculture. As part of this project, the present investigation was carried out through national-level workshops involving seven State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) across India, with participants from academia and industry, to strengthen ‘academia–industry collaboration’ through effective linkages. Based on the responses of 199 respondents from academia and industry, the study demonstrates an absolute need for linkages between universities and industries (p < 0.001), which are perceived to help improve higher education sustainably. Academic institutions believe that such linkages benefit students concerning their employability, entrepreneurial skills, and financial support received. At the same time, industries believe that they would benefit from novel technologies and influencing academic curricula. This article also establishes an alliance between some parts of academia and industry in the form of MoUs in the identified areas. However, many other areas need more appropriate linkage models. Both sectors, i.e., academia and industry, concur that such exposure and collaboration between the two entities will help to improve the quality of education. Moreover, such collaborations provide financial support, increase students’ employability, and improve their entrepreneurial skills. Among the areas requiring collaboration, the ‘capacity building of students’ was rated most important by academia and industry. Overall, the present study has significant implications for university administrators and industry leaders involved in enhancing academia–industry cooperation and improving the quality and sustainability of higher education in agriculture. Further, the study greatly contributes to the National Education Policy (NEP) to promote innovation among the student communities through Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Exploration and practice of innovative teaching of molecular biology experiment course under the context of new agricultural science

The development of new agricultural science is a new idea and a new measure that aims to deepen the reform of higher education in agriculture and forestry for the development of new agriculture, new countryside, new farmers and new ecosystem. It is therefore essential for the current undergraduate experimental teaching reform to timely introduce new technologies and new methods used in the development of agriculture and forestry industry into the experimental course teaching, and promote the integration of professional education with innovation and entrepreneurship education, according to the requirements of the new agricultural science. In view of this, the exploration and practice of molecular biology experiment course was carried out from the perspective of experimental projects, teaching modes and evaluation methods, according to the teaching requirements and characteristics of molecular biology experiment and teachers' scientific research achievements. The results showed that this reform greatly improved the students' comprehensive quality and innovation ability and may facilitate the innovation experiment teaching of other courses.

UNDERGRADUATE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION IN NEPAL: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Higher education is perceived as a capital outlay and a potential transformer of the socio-economic and cultural development of a nation. Nepal has a very brief history of modern educational systems which traces back to 1959 when Tribhuvan University was established as the first university in the country. Though the formal education in agriculture began in 1968 with the upgrade of the School of Agriculture into the College of Agriculture launching a two-year Intermediate of Science in Agriculture program, the institutes offering the undergraduate-level Bachelor of Science in Agriculture are recorded to stretch out only after the 1990s. The trend of establishment of undergraduate agricultural colleges has faced many ups and downs but the highest number of agricultural colleges were found to be established in the year 2018 i.e., 10. In the current situation, seven universities and their thirty-three constituent and affiliated colleges are offering bachelor’s degree in agriculture. Regardless of the ample expansion of agricultural institutes throughout the country, agricultural education is still an underrated subject in comparison to other fields. There is limited information available about the current status of the agricultural education system in Nepal; in fact, the secondary-level graduates lack proper information and guidance related to higher education in agriculture. This paper explores the history of agricultural education in Nepal; trend of agricultural institutional development; quota distribution, eligibility criteria and admission procedures for undergraduate studies in different universities; and has been prepared with a motive to shed light on agricultural academics, and guide students who are seeking a bright future in the agriculture sector.

Digital Initiatives of Indian Council of Agricultural Research for the Agricultural Community: An Overview

Background: Today’s age/time is the Digital age/time. The digital initiatives made by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the field of agriculture and agriculture education have been explained in this article. Methods: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex body for co-ordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country. A website is an electronic information wall of any organization or any digital initiative. This paper highlights the various digital initiatives of ICAR, New Delhi Result: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture. The present article discusses and highlights ICAR-related digital initiatives.

Training of landscape gardening specialists in the french higher education system

The paper deals the issue of training future specialists in gardening and park management in higher education institutions in France. It is established that the training of these specialists is carried out in institutions of various types, which are integrated into the general system of educational institutions. The main features of training of future specialists in landscape gardening in French higher education institutions are determined: constant development of an extensive and differentiated system of educational institutions; practical and constant interconnection and mutual influence between all levels of education, including professional development; autonomy of educational institutions within the framework of national, regional and local educational programmes; innovation in the educational process and professionalisation of future specialists. Higher education in France is aimed at shaping a new vision of the nation and the worldview of young people: innovation and scientific research; environmental protection and agro-ecological development of national territories; highly professional, multidisciplinary and demanded young specialists in the labour market; integration of scientific and educational achievements into the development of local territories; use of regional potential by combining the efforts of scientific, educational and industrial institutions to develop the country's bioeconomy. Higher agricultural education in France provides training, education of engineers, specialists in landscape architecture and design, specialised personnel, teachers, scientists and veterinarians in 26 higher education institutions: 19 institutions are public and 7 are private. To date, new types of educational institutions have been established and are successfully operating in France, providing multi-level and multi-functional professional training of agricultural engineers that optimally meet the interests of the individual and the staffing needs of enterprises and territorial communities. This helps to increase the competitiveness of their graduates, expand their career opportunities, and ensure stability in their professional activities. As a rule, these are professionals of a polyvalent nature who speak two foreign languages. The trend of improving and expanding the short cycle of professional higher education, as well as alternative (non-formal) agricultural education, which is represented by: apprenticeship (formation par apprentissage); continuing education (formation continue); distance education (formation ouverte et à distance); alternative system of assessment (certification) of professional experience (la Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience, VAE), is quite effective for agricultural education in France.

Current Situation of Agricultural Extension and Communication Course in Agricultural Higher Education in Türkiye

Tarımsal Yayım ve İletişim dersi; danışmanlık hizmetlerinde kullanılacak yöntem ve uygulamalar gibi teknik konuların yanı sıra kırsal toplum yapısı gibi sosyal konuları içermesi nedeniyle ziraat mühendisliği mesleğine, nitelikli bir danışman-üretici ilişkisine katkı sunabilecek bir derstir. Buna rağmen, ziraat fakültelerinin tarım ekonomisi bölümü dışındaki bölümlerinde bu ders tercih edilmemektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'de lisans düzeyinde verilen Tarımsal Yayım ve İletişim dersinin mevcut durumunun ortaya çıkarılması amaçlanmıştır. Bu maksatla 2022 yılı itibariyle 41 üniversitenin ziraat fakülteleri tam sayım örnekleme yöntemi ile çalışma kapsamına alınmıştır. Tarım Ekonomisi Bölümü dışındaki diğer bölümlerde dersin zorunlu işlenme oranı tarla bitkileri bölümünde %45, bahçe bitkileri bölümünde %28 ve hayvan bilimleri bölümünde %14 olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuç, "Ziraat mühendisi" unvanına sahip birçok mezunun mezun oldukları bölümlerin müfredatlarında bu dersin bulunmamasından dolayı insan kaynaklarının önemini ve özelliklerini iyi anlamadan kariyerlerine başladıkları şeklinde yorumlanabilir. Bu eksikliğin telafi edilebilmesi için Tarımsal Yayım ve İletişim dersinin diğer birçok servis dersi gibi tüm bölümlerde zorunlu olarak okutulması gerektiği değerlendirilmektedir.

Socio-demographic Background and Career Consciousness of Students in Agricultural Higher Education in Eastern Hungary

Abstract In this study, we compare the socio-demographic background of Hungarian higher education students in the field of agriculture with that of students in other fields, and we also examine students’ career consciousness based on data from a large-sample survey conducted in Eastern Hungary in 2019. We found that in the field of agriculture 63.6% of the students were male and 64. 8% came from smaller settlements, which may be explained by the nature of the agricultural field. Regarding career consciousness, we found that while agricultural students come to higher education with the hope of obtaining a well-paying, high-prestige job, they usually do not engage in career-oriented activities and achievements during their studies.

Pattern of human resource development in Indian agricultural universities

Agriculture is the primary sector of Indian economy contributing substantially towards GDP of the country. Qualified and quality human resources contribute significantly towards agricultural sector in the economy. The present study (2021) attempts to analyze the human resource development in terms of enrollment pattern of students in undergraduate (UG) course of agriculture and allied sciences and reflects on evolving strategies for attracting talented students in this sector. Present study shows that there is a close correlation with State Value of Output in agricultural sector and number of students enrolled in higher agricultural and allied studies. Presently, there are 74 agricultural universities (AUs) under the National Agricultural Research Education System and the present study attempts to analyze the student enrollment patterns of under-graduate students in agricultural universities of India for meeting the scientific manpower needs towards achieving targeted agricultural growth. Five years of enrollment data (2015–20) across AUs was considered. Human resource development in terms of enrolment in the higher agricultural education of agricultural universities is quite low when compared to enrolment of students overall in higher education and pattern of enrollment of girls varied in different regions of the country. This study has brought out an important aspect linked to higher agricultural education that the State Value of Output in agriculture has a positive association with enrollment of the students in higher agricultural education from the state in agricultural sector. It is important to assess the future human resource needs for the various sub-sectors of agriculture.

Examining the Adoption of Drones and Categorisation of Precision Elements among Hungarian Precision Farmers Using a Trans-Theoretical Model

This article discusses the use of drones in Hungary and considers their future penetration, based on the responses to a nationally representative 2021 questionnaire among 200 large-scale farmers engaged in precision farming and in crop production. Both the applied trans-theoretical model (with ordinal logit regression model) and the questionnaire design are suitable for comparison with the results of a similar survey in Germany. In this study, similar results were found for farm size, age, main job and education, but the evidence that higher education in agriculture has the largest positive effect on the use of drones is a novelty. The frequency values obtained for adopting precision technology elements are not fully suitable for classification due to interpretational shortcomings. The use of drones within precision technologies is no longer negligible (17%), but is nevertheless expected to grow significantly due to continuous innovation and the selective application of inputs. The state could play a major role in future uptake, particularly in the areas of training and harmonisation of legislation.

Mind Mapping as a Learning and Teaching Tool in Agricultural Higher Education in India

The study aimed at investigating the effi cacy of mind maps in teaching over conventional comprehensive text; comparing both of these teaching methods; and fi nding out the binary association with several independent determinants. The experiment comprised two groups, one group was fed information as a mind map, others were fed comprehensive text. Results indicated that the respondents using comprehensive text took 186.69 seconds on average; whereas the respondents under mind map completed the test in 132.99 seconds. The t-test and chi-square tests indicated that gender does not infl uence the performance of the respondents whereas background, the language of primary education and profession has some infl uence under diff erent testing situations. The results establish that the mind map is much more effi cient in communicating the instructions concerning both comprehensibility and time to assimilate. Conclusively, a few futuristic research questions and inputs for relevant policy interventions have been identifi ed

"There Is Nothing I Cannot Achieve": Empowering Latin American Women Through Agricultural Education.

Higher education, a key driver of women’s empowerment, is still segregated by gender across the world. Agricultural higher education is a field that is male-dominated, even though internationally women play a large role in agricultural production. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience, including challenges and coping strategies, of women from 10 Latin American countries attending an agricultural university in Latin America. The participants were 28 women students with a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.8 years. Following informed consent and assurance of confidentiality, four focus group sessions (one for each year of study with a mean duration of 81 min) were conducted in Spanish. The central question was, “what has been your experience at the university?” Sessions were recorded and transcribed. Thematic coding was performed independently by two teams of researchers (from Latin America and North America), with the resulting schemas combined through mutual discussion. Member checking, auditing, and reflexivity contributed to trustworthiness of the process. Students reported that the personal qualities needed for success included determination, persistence, and self-efficacy. Many described an empowerment process, including increased discipline and self-efficacy from the first to fourth year of study. University life encompassed six themes: university structure and discipline (part of the exosystem), two supportive microsystems (friends and classmates and institutional support) as well as three challenges (academics, peers, and machismo). Cultural influences instantiated in students’ daily experiences included familism, machismo, and religious faith. Students anticipated futures involving further education and contributions to society. We conclude that higher education in agriculture can serve as an effective means of empowering women to feed the world.

Situational-communicational characteristics of girl students and their attitude towards higher agricultural education

Situational-communicational characteristics of girl students and their attitude towards higher agricultural education

Socio-personal characteristics of girl students and their attitude towards higher agricultural education

Socio-personal characteristics of girl students and their attitude towards higher agricultural education

Research and Extension Roles and Standpoints on Collaboration in technology Promotion and Transfer at a Higher Education Institution in the Philippines

Research and extension collaboration has been considered by policymakers as a critical factor in the success of efforts at lifting the agricultural sector especially in developing countries. Generation of technologies aimed at improving crop yields and farmers’ incomes are mainly the researchers’ role, while dissemination, promotion and transfer of these technologies for adoption especially by small-scale farmers is traditionally regarded as the extensionists’ main tasks. The research-extension linkage has been studied in terms of extent of collaboration and communication and causes of weak linkage, but not a single study explored how collaboration is viewed and what roles the researchers and extensionists assume in technology transfer. This study aimed to find out the roles and standpoints of researchers and extensionists in the promotion of technologies generated in an agricultural higher education institution (HEI) in the northern Philippines. Qualitative methodology was utilized to gather data from nine researchers and five extensionists who were all chosen through purposive sampling and who were all from the HEI. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed interviews. Findings show that researchers performed the role of technology transfer agents while extensionists served merely as reinforcement to the promotion activities of the researchers. There were differing standpoints about technology promotion and transfer, with the researchers’ viewpoint of extensionists’ lack of competence as a critical reason for not relegating this role to them, due to the extensionists’ non-involvement in the generation of the technologies. Lack of linkage between the two prevented the extensionists from assuming their prescribed role as technology transfer agent, doing instead the role of facilitator and organizer of farmers’ trainings. The study results call for a re-articulation of extensionists’ function and for their involvement in research centers’ implementation plan for technology promotion and transfer.

Peculiarities of the organisation of blended learning in foreign languages at higher agricultural education institutions

Peculiarities of the organisation of blended learning in foreign languages at higher agricultural education institutions