Rural & Regional Focus
I
LRIC's
core partner UNE has a strong background in rural and regional
development. Its regional location and long history provide a critical
network of industry partners who assist with these processes. UNE was
the first regional university in Australia and hence the first
university to establish close links with organisations and industries
in the region. UNE has particular expertise in the area of agriculture
and systems thinking through the School of Rural Science and
Agriculture. The Graduate School of Agricultural Economics is a key
link to both agricultural sciences and business studies. The New
England Business School (NEBS), has developed a unique synergy between
academic learning and industry application. The School of Environmental
Sciences and Natural Resource Management is a world leader in the
development of sustainable rural industries and National Park
management. There is also a Language Training Sector which has been
involved in many short and long term language training programs for
various clients from developing countries.
A Master Class
(Research Management in Agriculture) consists of 20 participants from
developing countries, the most recent included participants from Sri
Lanka, Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam,
Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The Master Classes are funded by The
Crawford Fund, assisted by the ADB, ACIAR, UNIDO, AQIS, GRDC various
CRCs, and the CSIRO. They run for 2 weeks with a 2-day mid-course field
trip. There are 8 key themes: research planning, managing research,
managing research staff, financial management and intellectual property
(IP), collaboration with research and commercial partners, social and
environmental implications of research, assessing the achievements of
research, transfer of research technology. Senior lecturing staff are
drawn from UNE's School of Rural Science and Agriculture, Beef CRC,
Cotton CRC, as well as from ACIAR, GRDC, CSIRO and the private sector
such as Export Grains Centre Ltd.
Agricultural Training
UNE
has been providing training and education to the agricultural industry
for over 50 years. UNE has the flexibility to adapt individual courses
for particular client needs. It also has a range of programs that can
be undertaken at graduate or post-graduate levels. These include
graduate certificates, diplomas, degrees and post-graduate Masters and
PhD programs. ILRIC can offer training for extension officers,
smallholders, company staff, industry group members, government
officials and policy formulators through individual training,
participatory workshops and study tours in Australia and overseas.
Training by leading experts is available in all facets of the livestock
production process including genetics and breeding, sustainable
resource management, feed and forage management, animal health, project
management, marketing, economic analysis, social capital and
community-based project management. Skills are also available in the
area of 'Training the trainer' so that institutions in developing
countries do not become dependent on external support. Many formal
courses are offered online and/or accompanied by residential schools.
As world wide satellite communication increases ILRIC will be able to
deliver video footage for training on request. Various industry
specific courses are available for inhouse training, many of which may
be delivered over the Internet.
Distance Education
UNE
has been the leader and innovator in distance education (DE) for more
than 40 years. UNE has an outstanding international reputation for its
approach to DE and has arguably the most extensive experience in DE
development and provision in Australia. Its DE practices have been
replicated by many universities, such as the Open University (UK),
Atabasca University (Canada) and University of Bergen (Norway). While
the provision of print and audiovisual-based modes have been the basis
of DE, UNE now offers more than 400 courses online serving 15,000
students, with more accessing the University's e-resources and
services. In 2004 UNE ranked second in Australia in terms of numbers of
external students (13,151). Almost all students enrolled in certificate
and diploma courses study externally.
- A six-week training course on farm economics and relational database management in Inner Mongolia
- Training workshops in Java, Indonesia on the mitigation of soil erosion,
- Management
of agricultural research in developing countries and socioeconomic
monitoring and evaluation of research and development,
- Rural development planning and policy making. - Agricultural and resource economics,
- Project analysis,
- Genetics in Thailand, the Philippines and South Africa,
- Economics training programs in China relating to economic analysis, budgeting of farming systems, use of computer software,
- Research management in agriculture workshops within Fiji, Viet Nam and Indonesia
