NC State CALS International Programs welcomed a diverse group of international researchers this week as part of two U.S. Department of Agriculture exchange programs aimed at promoting global food security and agricultural trade.<\/span><\/p>\n The cohort includes fellows from both the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program and the USDA Scientific Exchange Program (SEP). Five of the SEP fellows are assigned to the program at NC State, representing Mexico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guatemala. Additionally, two Borlaug fellows were selected for NC State, representing Thailand and Malaysia.<\/span><\/p>\n Adrienne Tucker, Assistant Director of CALS International Programs, said that while the two programs typically operate separately, this year’s timing allowed the groups to overlap, creating expanded networking opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n “Anytime you can have more scientists connecting, you have a greater network and greater ability to have collaboration,” Tucker said.<\/span><\/p>\n A notable aspect of this year’s Scientific Exchange Program is that all 28 fellows are women, representing 21 different countries. The focus on women in food systems was intentional, aligning with USDA priorities to promote women scientists and develop their roles across the agricultural sector.<\/span><\/p>\n Astrid Judith Racancoj Coyoy, a fellow from Guatemala, reflected on the significance of the all-female cohort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “We are setting an example for others,” Racancoj Coyoy said. “I know there are many people that have studied, that have more opportunity, but also to say, ‘Okay, this is so important to share the moment with all the women that are scientific in different things, different countries.'”<\/span><\/p>\n Racancoj Coyoy, who works in plant protection and extension at the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology in Guatemala, hopes to gain new tools and strategies for managing crop pests, particularly in strawberries. She emphasized the importance of connecting research to practical applications for farmers.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s really interesting how here in North Carolina they’re working on information sharing,” Racancoj Coyoy said, contrasting the extension process in the U.S. with the more comprehensive responsibilities researchers often juggle in Guatemala. “We have to do everything, basically.”<\/span><\/p>\n The fellows will spend 12 weeks at NC State, collaborating with faculty mentors on research projects tailored to their interests and their home countries’ needs. The program aims to foster long-term partnerships between the U.S. and international institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n Jose Cisneros, Director of CALS International Programs, highlighted the value of these exchanges during his welcome remarks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “What I found in this process of working in all these countries is that there’s a lot of commonality,” Cisneros said, noting that despite differences in crops, cultures and systems, many countries face similar challenges in agricultural development.<\/span><\/p>\n Cisneros emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on farmers as the ultimate beneficiaries of agricultural research. He cautioned against getting distracted by new technologies or funding pressures at the expense of addressing real-world needs.<\/span><\/p>\n “Our ultimate goal are farmers,” Cisneros said. “So when we think about that, and suddenly we come here or we just learn about new technologies or new opportunities, or new labs, or the shiny things, right? Are we really thinking about our farmers, or are we really thinking about the coolest stuff we can do with this?”<\/span><\/p>\n The program includes various professional development opportunities, including trainings on science communication and leadership skills. Fellows will also attend the World Food Prize events in Des Moines, Iowa, where they’ll engage with global leaders in agriculture and food security.<\/span><\/p>\n Kedong Da, a senior research scholar in horticulture science and director of the Plant Transformation Library at NC State, advised the fellows to focus on technologies applicable to their home countries.<\/span><\/p>\n “You need to find the way which is the best fit for your country and your research,” he said. “That’s more important.”<\/span><\/p>\n As the fellows settle into their research projects, they’re already recognizing the program’s potential impact. For Racancoj Coyoy, the opportunity to collaborate with other women scientists from around the world is particularly meaningful.<\/span><\/p>\n “In Guatemala, we have so many issues,” she reflected. “We are working so that we can make a change, but we didn’t have many women [in these roles].”<\/span><\/p>\n The fellowship programs aim to address such disparities, fostering a set of agricultural leaders equipped to tackle global food security challenges in their home countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":" NC State CALS International Programs welcomed a diverse group of international researchers this week as part of two U.S. Department of Agriculture exchange programs aimed at promoting global food security and agricultural trade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":914,"featured_media":9875,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[86,1,133],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","category-uncategorized","category-usda-fellows"],"acf":[],"flickr_id":"","youtube_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/914"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9874"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9876,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9874\/revisions\/9876"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/international-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}WRITTEN BY: Matthew Burkhart (mkburkha@ncsu.edu)<\/h4>\r\nNC State CALS International Programs welcomed a diverse group of international researchers this week as part of two U.S. Department of Agriculture exchange programs aimed at promoting global food security and agricultural trade.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe cohort includes fellows from both the Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Program and the USDA Scientific Exchange Program (SEP). Five of the SEP fellows are assigned to the program at NC State, representing Mexico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Guatemala. Additionally, two Borlaug fellows were selected for NC State, representing Thailand and Malaysia.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAdrienne Tucker, Assistant Director of CALS International Programs, said that while the two programs typically operate separately, this year's timing allowed the groups to overlap, creating expanded networking opportunities.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Anytime you can have more scientists connecting, you have a greater network and greater ability to have collaboration,\" Tucker said.<\/span>\r\n\r\nA notable aspect of this year's Scientific Exchange Program is that all 28 fellows are women, representing 21 different countries. The focus on women in food systems was intentional, aligning with USDA priorities to promote women scientists and develop their roles across the agricultural sector.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAstrid Judith Racancoj Coyoy, a fellow from Guatemala, reflected on the significance of the all-female cohort.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"We are setting an example for others,\" Racancoj Coyoy said. \"I know there are many people that have studied, that have more opportunity, but also to say, 'Okay, this is so important to share the moment with all the women that are scientific in different things, different countries.'\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nRacancoj Coyoy, who works in plant protection and extension at the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology in Guatemala, hopes to gain new tools and strategies for managing crop pests, particularly in strawberries. She emphasized the importance of connecting research to practical applications for farmers.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"It's really interesting how here in North Carolina they're working on information sharing,\" Racancoj Coyoy said, contrasting the extension process in the U.S. with the more comprehensive responsibilities researchers often juggle in Guatemala. \"We have to do everything, basically.\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe fellows will spend 12 weeks at NC State, collaborating with faculty mentors on research projects tailored to their interests and their home countries' needs. The program aims to foster long-term partnerships between the U.S. and international institutions.<\/span>\r\n\r\nJose Cisneros, Director of CALS International Programs, highlighted the value of these exchanges during his welcome remarks.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"What I found in this process of working in all these countries is that there's a lot of commonality,\" Cisneros said, noting that despite differences in crops, cultures and systems, many countries face similar challenges in agricultural development.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCisneros emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on farmers as the ultimate beneficiaries of agricultural research. He cautioned against getting distracted by new technologies or funding pressures at the expense of addressing real-world needs.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"Our ultimate goal are farmers,\" Cisneros said. \"So when we think about that, and suddenly we come here or we just learn about new technologies or new opportunities, or new labs, or the shiny things, right? Are we really thinking about our farmers, or are we really thinking about the coolest stuff we can do with this?\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe program includes various professional development opportunities, including trainings on science communication and leadership skills. Fellows will also attend the World Food Prize events in Des Moines, Iowa, where they'll engage with global leaders in agriculture and food security.<\/span>\r\n\r\nKedong Da, a senior research scholar in horticulture science and director of the Plant Transformation Library at NC State, advised the fellows to focus on technologies applicable to their home countries.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"You need to find the way which is the best fit for your country and your research,\" he said. \"That's more important.\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nAs the fellows settle into their research projects, they're already recognizing the program's potential impact. For Racancoj Coyoy, the opportunity to collaborate with other women scientists from around the world is particularly meaningful.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"In Guatemala, we have so many issues,\" she reflected. \"We are working so that we can make a change, but we didn't have many women [in these roles].\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe fellowship programs aim to address such disparities, fostering a set of agricultural leaders equipped to tackle global food security challenges in their home countries.\u00a0<\/span>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"