Training Programs

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Global Academy has held an assortment of trainings throughout the of the years, hosting various scientists and professionals from around the globe.  Throughout all the Global Academy trainings, fellows travel around North Carolina and/or the country meeting with experts to discuss the training topic so they can return to their home country to make trade decisions, impact policies, and further spread sound scientific knowledge.

Turkey Cochran: Agricultural Biotechnology

A group of seven agriculturists from Turkey participate in a two-week training program in the area of agricultural biotechnology, developed by CALS Global Academy in conjunction with NC State’s Genetic Engineering and Society Center (GES). The involvement of GES, co-chaired by Dr. Fred Gould and Dr. Jennifer Kuzma, allowed us to involve lecturers with a diverse background who are experts in communicating about biotechnology. In order to provide the fellows with a multitude of perspectives on agricultural biotechnology, the use of lectures, industry visits, and field experiences was carefully balanced. The program consisted of a diverse group of lecturers spanning eleven departments representing three different colleges.
This assorted group of esteemed faculty lecturers allowed the fellows to learn about the scientific, economical, and political aspects of biotechnology as well as learned effective strategies to communicate with the public and private sectors on issues related to agricultural biotechnology. The benefit that the industry and field visits offered is that the group was able to observe and engage with industry experts and their NC farming counterparts. Industry visits to Syngenta, BASF, and the NC Biotechnology Center allowed the fellows to learn about the effort required to create their products as well as their environmental and economic impact. The fellows also visited two family farms that have incorporated biotechnology crops. These visits allowed the group to get a farmer's perspective on the impact that the implementation of these crops had on their day-to-day operations. The fellows were also able to ask questions related to pesticide use and using GMO crops in rotation with non-GMO crops.