The Office of International Affairs (OIA) has released its 2019 annual report on International Partnerships and CFAES played an integral role in contributing to the success by maintaining and establishing relationships with partner institutions in many different countries.
OIA partners with colleges and units university-wide in support of Ohio State’s mission to utilize knowledge in support of the well-being of state, regional, national, and global communities. Formalizing relationships with international universities and institutions helps to enable highly impactful international academic and research activity both locally in Columbus and around the globe.
In 2019, CFAES faculty helped initiate and prepare five new agreements. One of those faculty members was Dr. Rafiq Islam, Director of Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources at OSU South Centers. Dr. Islam, who has worked in Central Asia since 2005, formalized a relationship he has built over many years with Kazakh National Agrarian University (KazNAU) in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement, titled “Strengthening U.S. and Kazakh Scientific Capacity through Joint-Institutional Agricultural Teaching, Research, and Outreach Development,” has enabled many project activities, including visits to the partner institution in Kazakhstan by Dr. Islam and Dr. Renukaradhya Gourapura (Food Animal Health Research Program, OARDC). Drs. Islam and Gourapura delivered presentations, held workshops, and collaborated on research proposals in Almaty. Dr. Islam personally collaborated with colleagues at KazNAU to establish several new experiments and mentor PhD students.
The agreement with KazNAU is in effect through 2024, at which time it may be renewed.
Look for more CFAES agreements to be highlighted here soon.
If you are a CFAES faculty member interested in initiating a new international agreement, please contact Poppy Thornton.98
CFAES International Programs will help support each step of the process, serving as liaison to OIA.