Ask Ag About… Interactions between Agricultural Education and Extension

Photo Credit: Alda Kauffeld/USAID Ghana
Photo Credit: Alda Kauffeld/USAID Ghana

Event Information

Agriculture education and training (AET) lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability in agriculture development. However, it can be easy to misunderstand the vital linkages between education and extension within AET systems. Extension is critical in agricultural development and must work hand in hand with education to sustain long-term institutional capacity for countries. 

Are you implementing an extension project? Do you work with agricultural education institutions? Would you like to? Join this Ask Ag Online Chat on Feb. 10 from 12:00-1:00 PM EST. Our panel of agricultural education and extension experts will take your questions and further discuss this critical linkage.

Meet the experts:

Ntam Baharanyi, a professor at Tuskegee University, recently worked on linkages between outreach/extension needs and AET curriculum, among other topics, in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gary Briers is a professor at Texas A&M whose research in teacher education in agriculture has resulted in more than 50 refereed journal publications in eight journals and more than 100 conference refereed papers and presentations.

Hlami Ngwenya is a consultant for Global Forum Rural Advisory Service (GFRAS) and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Free State with 24 years' experience, 17 of which she has worked in the field of agricultural education and training, extension, research, and policy.

Grady Roberts is the Executive Director for the Global Education Lab at the University of Florida and a contributor to the Feed the Future InnovATE project where he supports globally-integrated educational programs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences.

Rick Rudd is the  Head of the Department of Agricultural, Leadership and Community Education at Virginia Tech and will draw from his hands-on experience in extension, which focuses on continued professional education for extension personnel, community viability and sustainable agriculture in local communities.

Some guiding questions include:

  • What is the difference between education and extension?
  • Why is the linkage between education and extension important?
  • How do agricultural education and extension work together?
  • How do extension projects engage education institutions and vice versa?
Remember, this event will take place in the comments section below. Get a jump on the discussion and post a question now! 

Speakers

Dr. Ntam

Photo of Dr. Baharnyi

Tuskegee University

Ntam Baharanyi is Professor of Agricultural Economics and Assistant Extension Administrator at Tuskegee University. He has taught Farm Management, Agricultural Production Economics, and Agricultural Policies for Developing Countries. His research and outreach work has been primarily on small and limited-resource farmers, micro-enterprise facilitation, and sustainable community economic development in Alabama, the Southern Black Belt region and Sub-Saharan Africa. Recent and active focus in international development work has been in Senegal, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Armenia on (1) labor market needs and agriculture education and training (AET), (2) curriculum review and AET institutional development, (3) community participatory curriculum development, (4) micro-enterprise development in rural communities, (5) post-conflict AET assessment and reconstruction, (6) linkages between outreach/extension needs and AET curriculum development. Baharanyi is a graduate of the National University of Zaire (BS, Agronomy) and the University of Kentucky (MS and Ph.D., Agricultural Economics).

Dr. Gary

Photo of Dr. Gary Briers

Texas A & M University

Gary Briers is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications and a Senior Scientist at the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. A faculty member for 36 years at Texas A&M University (and five years prior to that at Iowa State University), he has served 10 years as coordinator of undergraduate programs, 12 years as associate head for academic and research programs, and two years as interim head. His research in teacher education in agriculture has resulted in more than 50 refereed journal publications in eight journals and more than 100 conference refereed papers and presentations. Briers has worked internationally in Mexico, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti, Norway, Russia, Germany, Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, and Uganda.

Hlami Ngwenya

Global Forum Rural Advisory Services

Ms. Ngwenya is a consultant for GFRAS and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Free State (Center for Sustainable Agriculture). She has 24 years' work experience, 17 of which she has worked in the field of agricultural education and training, extension, research, and policy. Her areas of expertise include organisational change management, strategic planning, participatory approaches to programs and M & E, systemic competence development processes, knowledge management, communications for sustainable development, research as well as facilitation of policy dialogues and other multi-stakeholder engagements at local, national, regional, and global levels. Her focus in the recent years has been on: agricultural extension and rural advisory services, policy research and advocacy, agricultural innovation systems & innovation platforms, climate smart agriculture and climate change adaptation, food and nutrition security, livelihoods and social protection, gender mainstreaming, and youth in agriculture talent development. She earned a B.Ed. from the University of Zululand, South Africa, and a M.Sc. in Consumer Science from Potchefstroom University, South Africa. She is currently working on a Ph.D. in Extension and Agrarian Development at the University of Pretoria.

Dr. T.

University of Florida

T. Grady Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications at the University of Florida. He serves as the Executive Director and Director of Educational Activities for the Global Education Lab of the University of Florida. The mission of the Global Education Lab is to support globally-integrated educational programs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences through high-quality research, teaching, and consultation. The University of Florida is a consortium partner of the USAID-funded Feed the Future project, Innovations for Agricultural Training and Education (InnovATE), and Roberts is an InnovATE contributor. Roberts’ research interests include global education, experiential learning, and teaching and learning in university settings. He received his B.S., MAg. and PhD in Agriculture Education from the University of Florida.

Dr. Rick

Photo of Dr. Rick Rudd

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Rick Rudd is the Community Viability Chair of Excellence, Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural, Leadership and Community Education. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Agricultural Education. Rudd’s extension efforts include continued professional education for extension personnel, community viability and sustainable agriculture in local communities. He also is working with workforce development efforts to ensure a qualified workforce in agriculture. Rudd's research interests include teaching for critical thinking and organizational leadership. He has international experience in Russia, Senegal, and Honduras. Rudd earned a BS in Agriculture and a MS in Agricultural Education from The Ohio State University and a PhD in Vocational and Technical Education from Virginia Tech.

Event Registration Information

Spotlight Event

Online and In-person Event
United States

Visit the Activity Page for Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education

Learn More

More on This Topic from AgriLINKS

Ask Ag About... The Interactions Between Climate Change and Nutrition

View Event

Ask Ag About... Land Tenure and Governance

View Event

Ask Ag About... M&E for Gender Integration

View Event

Ask Ag About... Engaging Civil Society

View Event

Topics:

Return to Top