Representatives of Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Debrecen signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vice Chancellor of Louisiana State University this past spring about launching joint projects in food research and student exchange programs between the two institutions. The cooperation in researching functional foods and toxins has already been started, and the LSU staff would wish to count on a long-term relationship with the members of the academic and teaching faculty in Debrecen.
“Most of our partner institutions are located in the countries of Central America. Two years ago though, we made a strategic decision to target not just individual countries but entire regions. This is why we have decided to seek admission to Visegrádi Egyetemi Szövetség [Visegrád University Association], thanks to which we are now in a position to establish contacts with at least three or four agricultural research bases in Central and Eastern European states. In Hungary, we have plans to initiate joint research and mobility programs with the University of Debrecen and the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of Szent István University located in the city of Gödöllő,” said Ivana Tregenza, Director for International Relations at Louisiana State University, on the occasion of her visit to our Böszörményi úti campus.
The delegation from the agricultural center of the overseas institution arrived at the Faculty of Agriculture in Debrecen on September 21 in order to expand the currently existing cooperation to further areas of academic disciplines. They visited the exhibition garden of the faculty as well as the units called Halbiológiai Laboratórium [Fish Biology Laboratory] and Élelmiszertechnológiai Tanüzem [Food Technology Practical Training Institution].
“The current delegation from Louisiana is looking for possibilities for cooperation in the fields of horticulture, plant protection, animal husbandry and animal science, as well as water and environmental management so as to find solutions that would serve the interests of both sides involved in this partnership. Examples for these include the sustainment of nutrient and energy balance of aquaponic systems, sweet potato production (which is in its initial phase of establishment in Hungary), and pest control or management of recent and new species,” said István Komlósi, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management.
The Faculty has also established scholarship grants for the purpose of making it possible for at least two or three Hungarian researchers annually to go and stay in Louisiana in order to participate in the research conducted there in person.
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