INTAD Course Travels to Costa Rica

INTAD 820 is an embedded course, meaning that on-campus classroom work and an international experience are woven together into a cohesive experience. The course emphasizes analytical thinking and application of knowledge in a real world context, in this case, Costa Rica.

This year students were able to visit with different organizations in the agriculture system including industry, research, university and governmental in order to gather information needed for successful completion of the final course assignment. University visits included University of Costa Rica, EARTH, Tecnologico de Costa Rica (TEC),and CATIE. A highlight among the university visits included interaction with students at each of the universities, including co-presentation of research projects.

Research visits focused on a variety of crops including papaya, cacao and banana. Other visits included Bayer's cotton seed facility, a coffee farmer competing in The Cup of Costa Rica. A representative from the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service also addressed the group.

Students will return to the classroom and will be challenged to integrate knowledge learned in the field with a course assignment consisting of an interdisciplinary grant proposal.

INTAD 820 is one of the required courses for all students enrolled in the International Agriculture and Development (INTAD) dual-title degree program. Each INTAD 820 offering is led by professors from different departments with differing international experiences and expertise in subject matter and process skills. This year the course was led by Dr. Paul Esker, Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, and Dr. Melanie Miller Foster, International Programs.

The focus of the course changes annually to reflect issues in the global arena and faculty interests and expertise.To learn more about future offerings of INTAD 820, please contact Melanie Miller Foster at melanie@psu.edu.