Convening and Knowledge-Sharing

Cornell's long history of involvement in international agriculture and development has enabled CIIFAD to play a major role in convening people from around the world to work on development problems. In conjunction with its ongoing collaborative sustainable development initiatives, CIIFAD facilitates and participates in numerous international meetings, workshops and conferences to advance knowledge generation and sharing related to the environment, poverty, and related development issues. Most recently, CIIFAD co-sponsored a symposium with the Emerging Markets Program (AEM) on Financial Inclusion, Innovation, and Investments: Biotechnology and Capital Markets Working for the Poor (April 20-21, 2007) at Cornell University. Among other international events, CIIFAD co-organized a workshop on Integration of Socioeconomic and Biophysical Processes in East Africa, May 8-11, 2006, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This workshop was attended by eight African Universities and six US Universities. At Cornell Unviersity, CIIFAD also sponsors a number of development-related thematic working groups for the Cornell community, including a working group focused on capacity-building strategies for knowledge sharing.

Virtual Communities
Also of importance to CIIFAD's knowledge generation and sharing agenda is its role in convening geographically diverse groups and individuals in virtual on-line communities. These thematic communities of practice, which are connected through a series CIIFAD-maintained listservs and websites, work on regional and global solutions to both research and practical problems. Currently, CIIFAD facilitates on-line communities in several languages related to the system of rice intensification and green manure/cover crops/soil health.

Student Support and Advising

Over the past 15 years, more than 200 graduate students have received support for their studies or field research in connection with CIIFAD programs. Research focuses are determined jointly with overseas partners so that there is a demand for what is learned. CIIFAD's small support staff assists its interdisciplinary, collaborative programs with publications, seminars, travel, and other arrangements. While CIIFAD will not be providing direct financial support for graduate students during 2006-2008, CIIFAD staff and partners will assist students associated with CIIFAD's ongoing collaborative initiatives to locate supporting funds from a variety of sources. Graduate students may also inquire about initiating new transnational or multidisciplinary overseas initiatives with Cornell faculty or non-Cornell partners.

CIIFAD also assists both undergraduate and graduate students at Cornell in locating and linking with faculty, staff and students with specific geographical or topical interests. Students may inquire about participating in CIIFAD-sponsored seminars, thematic working groups or virtual communities of practice.

International Short Courses

The Professional Development Unit of the IP/CALS works with CIIFAD to arrange international short courses and trainings at the request of overseas partners or CIIFAD-sponsored thematic communities and collaborative programs.

Seminars and Events

CIIFAD sponsors a weekly international seminar series during the academic year and co-sponsors occasional seminars with various Cornell departments and centers on campus. Ad hoc CIIFAD-sponsored seminars, conferences, workshops and other educational events are presented throughout the calendar year and are generally noted on the CIIFAD home page, CALS Research Events and Seminars, and the on-line Einaudi Center Events Calendar. To sign up to receive e-mail notification of upcoming seminars and events related to international food, agriculture and development issues at Cornell, contact the CIIFAD Forum.

International Courses and degree programs

While CIIFAD does not offer courses other than its public seminar series, many opportunties exist at Cornell to study international development. University-wide international courses can be found through the Cornell International Gateway (course listings) and the Einuadi Center international courses listings.

The International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences administers the following Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degrees:

• International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD)
• (MPS in International Agriculture and Rural Development with a specialization in Integrated Watershed Management ---Degree is conferred by Cornell University (CU) but all coursework and examinations are undertaken at Bahir Dar University (BDU), Ethiopia --offered during 2007 for African students only)
• International Development (ID)
• Agriculture and Life Sciences with a Peace Corps Option  

University-wide international degree program descriptions are listed in the Einaudi Center's international degree program section. University departments with an international component are described in Cornell International Gateway's university units listings.