8/16/00

Contacts:
David Acker, International Agriculture Programs, (515) 294-8454
Brian Meyer, Agriculture Communications, (515) 294-0706

INTERNATIONAL AG ACADEMICS WORK ON LEADERSHIP AT ISU

AMES, Iowa -- This week an international group of professors and students arrived at Iowa State University to learn how to become better leaders in the struggle to produce enough food while preserving natural resources.

The visit is the first in the International Higher Education Loan Program (I-HELP), sponsored by the Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture.

"I-HELP aims to help the world's brightest young professionals gain international experience and build leadership skills as they prepare to address two great challenges facing our world today - food security and environmental sustainability," said David Acker, director of ISU's International Agriculture Programs.

The I-HELP fellows -- 19 faculty members and graduate students -- arrived Aug. 14 and will stay through mid-November. They come from universities and academies in India, Yemen, China, South Africa, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Wales, Samoa, Kenya, Malaysia, Botswana and Albania. Each will have a mentor in an ISU department. They will collaborate on projects of mutual interest in agriculture, food or the environment, and will participate in weekly leadership seminars.

When they return to their home countries, the I-HELP fellows have agreed to put their new knowledge to work on activities to improve higher education, agriculture and the environment.

ISU provided loans to bring the fellows to Iowa. The loans will be repaid within three years.

The Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research for Agriculture, which ISU helped to form in 1998, has 265 member institutions in 132 countries. The consortium fosters international cooperation for improving higher education in agriculture. Former ISU President Martin Jischke is president of the consortium.

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