Land Grant and Minority Serving Institutions: Their Role in Food Aid, Development and Capacity Building

Jeffrey D. ArmstrongJeffrey D. Armstrong

Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University

A Common Global Goal - A Sustainable Food Supply

(Food Security)

Is MSU Aligned

?

Institutional Capacity Global Food Security

The traditional Land Grant model of highly siloed colleges and departments must change

Disciplinarity• Within one academic

discipline• Disciplinary goal setting• No cooperation with other

disciplines• Development of new

disciplinary knowledge and theory

Discipline

Goal of a research project

Academic knowledge body

Movement towards goal

Tress G., Tress B., and Fry G., 2004. Clarifying integrative research concepts in landscape ecology

Multidisciplinarity• Multiple disciplines• Multidisciplinary goal

setting under on thematic umbrella

• Loose cooperation of disciplines for exchange of knowledge

• Disciplinary theory development

Discipline

Goal of a research project

Academic knowledge body

Movement towards goal

CooperationThematic umbrella

Tress G., Tress B., and Fry G., 2004. Clarifying integrative research concepts in landscape ecology

Interdisciplinarity• Crosses disciplinary

boundaries• Common goal setting• Integration of

disciplines• Development of

integrated knowledge and theory

Discipline

Goal of a research project

Academic knowledge body

Movement towards goal

Integration

Tress G., Tress B., and Fry G., 2004. Clarifying integrative research concepts in landscape ecology

Transdisciplinarity• Crosses disciplinary and

scientific/academic boundaries

• Common goal-setting• Integration of disciplines

and non-academic participants

• Development of integrated knowledge and theory among science and society

Discipline

Goal of a research project

Academic knowledge body

Movement towards goal

Non-academic participants Integration

Non-academic knowledge body

Tress G., Tress B., and Fry G., 2004. Clarifying integrative research concepts in landscape ecology

Holistic View of Sustainability

Michigan State University: Response, Specific Examples

Restructuring around major themes, e.g., food security, sustainable environment & development and health & nutrition

Boundary spanning units have been added to effectuate and facilitate change; the Office of International Research Collaboration (OIRC)

Increase in flexible funds and fixed-term faculty base

Michigan State University: Specific Projects

FSKN – transdisciplinary in focus; addressing trade capacity development in developing countries while partnering with government agencies (e.g., USAID, WTO, Government of India Ministries and State Departments) and corporations (e.g., Coca Cola in China and Metro Cash & Carry in India)

Use of IT platforms and Open Education Resource (OER) models to provide greater reach/impact at lower costs, e.g., Food Safety Knowledge Network (FSKN) and AgShare (Gates funded) in Africa

Photo courtesy of MSU Global.

Photo courtesy of Coca-Cola.

Michigan State University: Specific Projects

MSU and NEPAD received a $10.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to assist in the training of African regulators on biotechnology; helping small farmers, improve agricultural practices and grow healthier, more sustainable food

Photo courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Michigan State University: CANR Response, Roadmap for

Alignment & Engagement

• Technical Expertise

• Geographical Expertise

Infrastructure

FoodSecurity

ChallengeOpportunity

Capacity

Relationships• Market Intelligence

• Strategic Vision