10-14-97
Contacts:
Stanley Johnson, Extension, (515) 294-6192
August Ralston, Accounting and Finance, (515) 294-9355
Steve Jones, News Service, (515) 294-4778
ISU, RUSSIAN AG ACADEMY TO DEVELOP EXTENSION PROJECTS
AMES, Iowa -- Officials from Iowa State University and Russia's Nizhni Novgorod State Agricultural Academy have signed an agreement to develop a Russian program that will be similar to ISU's Extension Service.
"We will work to export the concept of Extension as it is organized in Iowa to Russia," said Stanley Johnson, vice provost for Extension.
Johnson said the Nizhni Novgorod State Agricultural Academy is considered a strong research institution. However, it does not have an effective system to deliver new ideas and products to citizens of Nizhni Novgorod, Russia's third largest city.
The agreement also includes opportunities for long-term and short-term educational and research exchanges between faculty, staff and students of the two institutions.
"This agreement has the potential to improve Extension services and teaching effectiveness for both Iowa and Nizhni Novgorod by expanding knowledge of our common strengths and abilities," Johnson said. "We are very excited by the prospect of taking Extension to even higher levels of effectiveness by adding an international dimension to our services and experiences."
ISU officials hope to attract United States federal funds and Russian Federation funds to establish three Russian offices to aid in the exchange of information to farmers and others. The offices would function much like county Extension offices found in Iowa, Johnson added.
ISU and Nizhni Novgorod State Agricultural Academy officials have previously worked together. ISU's colleges of Business and Agriculture collaborated with the agricultural academy on a project that established a continuing education center at the academy. The project leader was August Ralston, interim department chair of finance and accounting at ISU who was instrumental in the negotiation for the new agreement, Johnson said.
Nizhni Novgorod is located in eastern Russia on the Volga River.
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10/14/97