News

In late July, we welcomed a group of 18 undergraduate students as part of the first-ever International Summer Institute. These 18 students have travelled to the Agricultural Campus from our partner universities in the Netherlands to South Africa and many countries in between. They will be visiting all corners of our campus taking part in activities, and most importantly, learning about what we do to feed and protect the world. Read on to learn more about some of the students taking part in this year’s Summer Institute.

What made you interested in Canada and the International Summer Institute?

To get to know other countries a little better and have the experience of school in another country, learning about different topics and how they are taught over here.

-          Gerben de Boer, Edible farming and horticulture, the Netherlands

The study atmosphere made me interested in Canada, and the university here at the AC I think is a quiet place for study. Also, I have much more opportunity to practice my English. I think English is a bridge to the world and if you learn English well, you can more easily go outside of your country and get a job.

-          Li Yihao, B.Sc (Agr), China

Why did you choose to focus on Agriculture as an area of study?

I became interested in food production and feeding the population. There are too many mouths to feed than there is food available, so, in some ways, that creates some sort of productivity conundrum for farmers.

-          Thabang Mashiloane, B.Sc (Agr), South Africa

I have loved agriculture since high school, it was one of my favourite subjects, so I was more interested in studying more about it at university.

-          Monica Ngomane, B.Sc (Agr) in Agricultural Business, South Africa

What are you hoping to learn from the International Summer Institute?

The experience of Canada and the contacts. I hope I will stay in contact with some of the people I’ve met here for years to come.

-          Robert Koops, Animal Science, the Netherlands

I came here with an expectation to be imparted with lots of knowledge, improve myself, improve my resume and also go back and disseminate the information to my brothers back home so they can hope to gain some the same knowledge I have received here.

-          Thabang Mashiloane, B.Sc (Agr), South Africa

Tell us about your first impression of the Agricultural Campus?

The people are very kind and very happy.

-          Kenya Yahaira Castillo Vargas, Vet medicine, Mexico

It’s only the second day but it has already blown me away, out of the charts. I’ve seen it, you have a really strong academic base here. It is always good when an institution like Dalhousie can strike a balance between the theoretical and the practical components. You guys have a very exceptional orientation between those two components, which means you can be a student here; you can really be exceptionally good yourself.

-          Thabang Mashiloane, B.Sc (Agr), South Africa

I’m very very cold, I am wearing my jacket inside. The campus is beautiful. I love the trees and stuff like that.

-          Valeria Sánchez, Engineering, Mexico

Almost everything is practical.

-          Monica Ngomane, B.Sc (Agr) in Agricultural Business, South Africa

The 18 undergraduate students are from the following universities: Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India; Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China; University of Mpumalanga, South Africa, and Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Mexico. Please stop and say hello if you see them in your travels around the campus.