Bulletin

Issue: July 2005

News

Yunnan exchange visit to rural Victoria

La Trobe University agricultural education has come a long way – from China to Tatura, Warragul and Camperdown.

A group of fourth year Bachelor of Agricultural Science students from La Trobe University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora and ten of their colleagues from Yunnan Agricultural University in Kunming, Southwest China, recently visited these three rural towns to study dairy industry practices as part of their courses.

For example the party visited Tatura Milk Industries and inspected the farm of Mr Rick Cross as part of their evaluation of dairy farming systems.

Organiser of the study tour was Associate Professor in Agricultural Science at La Trobe, Dr Peter Sale – a ‘golden logie’ holder for his innovative teaching programs, having won one of the prestigious Australian University Teaching Awards in the late 1990s.

He says the students from Yunnan were on a reciprocal visit to La Trobe, following a two-week study tour by 15 La Trobe students to China in March studying agricultural systems in Yunnan. There they observed cropping systems, consulted with farmers, scientists and other agriculture professionals to learn about sustainable agricultural practices.

‘The exposure of students to agricultural practices and problems encountered as a result of these visits provides exceptionally valuable experience,’ says Dr Sale. ‘It equips them for careers as professionals when they will be expected to deal with complex issues facing people all over the world.

This year’s exchange study program was supported by Dairy Australia, Tatura Milk Industries and Austrex. Previous reciprocal study tours involved groups from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

back contents next