Agriculture is a globally integrated enterprise. Listening to the daily commodity markets brings home the fact that a rainfall or technology event halfway around the world can have immediate impact locally.
The College of ACES, like many of our peer institutions, has focused significant attention on Asia over the past several years--especially China and India. Our objectives have included increasing international educational opportunities for our students, fostering collaborative research relationships for our faculty, and improving our capacity to support the interests of all Illinois participants in the global food supply chain.
With similar objectives, in recent months The College of ACES has been attentive to the major oilseed, grain and biofuels-producing regions of South America. In July I participated in a visit to Brazil led by Chancellor Richard Herman. That trip included signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Sao Paulo. Subsequently, Dr. Hans Blaschek, director of our Center for Advanced Bioenergy Research, and four of our ACES department heads spent a three days in Piracicaba at the agricultural campus of the University of Sao Paulo. There they engaged in conversations about common interests in research and education. Among other things, the Piracicaba faculty has become a key partner in of the Brazil study abroad program that we offer to our undergraduate students. Similar discussions are underway with key institutions in Argentina.
The world-wide connections of the College of ACES ensure that the educational opportunities we offer students prepare them for the global marketplace. Our global links also spread the impact of the important research conducted by ACES scientists. I am pleased that we continue to expand our interactions around the world.
