Faculty Exchange Program – African Veterinary Science

Description

Program Overview, Objectives, and PrioritiesThe Faculty Exchange Program is requesting the design and delivery of training activities forAfrican university professors in Veterinary Science.BACKGROUNDThe Faculty Exchange Program (FEP) began in 1995 to bring junior- or mid-level universityprofessors from countries in the Former Soviet Union to the United States for one semester toincrease their knowledge of, and ability to teach, agricultural economics, marketing, andagribusiness management at their home institutions. The program was funded by the Departmentof State under the Freedom Support Act. Program activities in this area ended in 2018. Over theyears the program has evolved to include agricultural scientists from Eastern Europe and theFormer Soviet Union. Today the program focuses on improving veterinary education andresearch in selected African nations for early to mid-career instructors at Colleges of VeterinaryMedicine in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Training programs are designed andorganized in conjunction with U.S. universities, USDA, and other government agencies. FEPemphasizes improved and updated course and curriculum development, teaching and studentassessment methods, exposure to current research techniques and practical field experienceswhile studying in the United States. FEP includes follow-up visits by U.S. host professors to theparticipants' universities to assess progress in implementation of courses developed andencourage collaboration between U.S. and participating universities. Since 2016, the programhas hosted 54 veterinary faculty participants from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, andUganda.ObjectivesThe purpose of the Faculty Exchange Program is to assist developing countries to improve theiruniversity agricultural education, research, and extension programs by providing a one semestertraining program at U.S. Land Grant Agricultural Universities. Participants are able to upgradetheir technical knowledge in their subject area, but they also learn new teaching methods throughclass observation, and they will learn new research methods though experience in the lab orthrough short courses or one-on-one instruction. Each participant revises and modernizes theirclass outlines for introduction at their home university after they return. Participants also travelto laboratories, farms agribusinesses, and government offices to gain an understanding of howthe veterinary science and animal health systems operate in the United States. Faculty mentorsvisit each participant in their home country 3-9 months after the conclusion of the U.S. basedprogram to provide follow-on support and advice.USDA will select Fellows based on similar backgrounds in research areas and place them in groups of ten Fellows. Each group will be placed at a Land Grant University specializing in their topic.

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