Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has closed the European Union-funded international project ALIGNING with a seminar on the future of agriculture and agribusiness education for climate resilience, held on Sunday, 13 September, at the dean's office of the Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology in Mymensingh.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Rafiqul Islam Sarder told the seminar that integrating technology and new research into the working environment is essential, and that the proper use of technology will play an important part in enriching the flow of research. Mutual training and exchange visits, he said, give the participating institutions a chance to share information and experience.

The project was set up to modernise agricultural education and to build a climate-resilient agriculture and agribusiness sector through modern technology, innovative teaching methods and skilled people. The seminar was chaired by the faculty's dean, Professor Dr Mohammad Amirul Islam; Professor Dr Md Abdul Kader of the Department of Agronomy presented the keynote, and Professor Dr Ismat Ara Begum of the Department of Agricultural Economics also attended.

Project coordinator Professor Dr Mohammad Jahangir Alam of the Department of Agribusiness and Marketing said ALIGNING aims to advance agricultural innovation in Asia and make agriculture and agribusiness more sustainable and climate-resilient. Under it, innovation clusters on agriculture and climate change will be built at five higher-education institutions in Bangladesh and Cambodia, giving priority to the Green Deal, digital transformation and sustainable growth and employment.

The plan includes modernising curricula, building digital infrastructure, training teachers and staff, and launching online and blended courses, so that the universities can produce graduates equipped for a farming sector already living with a changing climate.

Reported from Agri Barta. Source: Agri Barta