Ithaca, New York
March 6, 2008
The world's food supply will be a
little safer after students graduate from a dual degree program
in food science now offered by
Cornell University and Tamil
Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in India. Students at
both institutions will study global issues related to food
processing, technology, marketing and engineering.
"Global trends in the food industry demand that we train food
scientists and food engineers transnationally and
transculturally to ensure that food systems worldwide are
sustainable, safe and nutritious," said Martin Wiedmann,
associate professor of food science and director of graduate
studies in food science at Cornell.
Susan A. Henry, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Cornell's College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences, signed the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with C. Ramasamy, vice-chancellor of TNAU,
Feb. 13, when she was in Coimbatore, India. The MoU was approved
by the Cornell Faculty Senate Feb. 19. Approval by the Cornell
trustees is expected in May.
"This is the first such program to be established between a
land-grant university in the U.S. and an agricultural university
in India," said Henry. "Faculty and students will benefit from
being able to develop case studies based on the global food
system that improve the relevancy and effectiveness of the
teaching. Graduates will be well-equipped to address domestic
and global food issues in either the private or public sector."
The program combines a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in
food science and technology from Cornell with a Master of
Technology (M.Tech.) in food processing and marketing from TNAU.
The MPS program will be executed under Cornell's Graduate
School, which will confer the MPS degree on those who
successfully meet the program's requirements according to
Cornell's stipulations. The M.Tech. program will be executed
under the supervision of TNAU, which will confer the M.Tech.
degree on those who successfully meet program requirements
according to TNAU's stipulations.
Students enrolled in the program will complete two independent
applications, receive two independent offers of admission, meet
two sets of program and course requirements, earn two graduate
degrees and receive two diplomas.
Indian students are being recruited to start the program on
Cornell's Ithaca campus in summer 2008. After six months in the
United States, the Indian students will return to TNAU to finish
their degrees.
Cornell and TNAU have already established a strong working
relationship through joint participation in the International
Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) 602 course at Cornell.
Students pursuing the dual food science degree will be expected
to participate in IARD 602's Cornell-in-India program.
Support for the new initiative draws upon the successful
investment that has been made over the last three years by the
Sir Ratan Tata Trust, partner universities in India and the
Cornell-Sathguru Foundation, with the goal of generating
internationally competent scientists and agribusiness
professionals through the IARD course.
The Sir Ratan Tata Trust will help support Indian students in
the dual degree program, along with additional resources from
TNAU, the participating students and the Cornell-Sathguru
Foundation.
Wiedmann, K.V. Raman, associate director of CALS International
Programs, and Syed Rizvi, Cornell professor of food science and
current Jefferson Science Fellow, will be the contacts for the
dual degree program at Cornell. R. Chandra Babu, dean of
postgraduate studies, will be the primary contact at TNAU.
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