BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. The Azerbaijan
Agriculture University in Ganja, and Oklahoma State University to
establish the dual-degree master program, said K. Aleks Schaefer,
Director, Master of International Agriculture Program (MIAP),
Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State
University.


He made the remarks September 30 in a video message during the
U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) Members and Parters
Appreciation Night in Baku.


“Our Master of International Agriculture program is a
professionally designed, professionally oriented graduate program
built around the idea that modern agriculture, modern food systems
are inherently global. In addition to classes around agriculture,
our students take classes in economics, business, trade policy,
rural and community development, and international development. The
fundamental question we're asking is: how do we prepare students
not just to gain knowledge in the classroom, but also to solve the
real-world problems that our stakeholders are facing today. And
that's one of the reasons that this partnership between Oklahoma
and Azerbaijan makes so much sense,” he said.







Schaefer pointed out that although those two regions are
thousands and thousands of miles apart, the industry participants
in Oklahoma are facing some of the same challenges that
stakeholders in Azerbaijan are facing.


“How do we increase our agricultural productivity? How do we
manage our water resources? How do we manage our other natural
resources? How do we connect farmers to new markets? We know that
all these are questions that we cannot address in any one country
alone. Through this dual-degree program, Azerbaijani students are
bringing their knowledge of agriculture in their region, other
cultural and historical characteristics, to Oklahoma, where they
can benefit from some of the cutting-edge research, cutting-edge
extension practices that we're producing here in the U.S. more
broadly. Ultimately, what I hope this becomes a program that's just
so much more than this one little dual-degree program. I hope there
are opportunities for the private sector to connect with our
program through internships, applied research projects, seminar
opportunities, to help students understand the real challenges
facing agriculture in Azerbaijan. I'm really excited to see this
partnership moving forward, and I'm looking forward to hosting the
first students from Azerbaijan at Oklahoma State University,” he
concluded.