Two separate study tours to Europe and China have enhanced the education and future employability of Murdoch University agriculture students.
Animal Science, Animal Health and Veterinary Medicine students recently gained invaluable insights into international agricultural practices and technologies during the expansive study tours.
The students also visited ancient cultural hotspots like the medieval Gravensteen Castle in Ghent and the Great Wall of China near Beijing.
A group of 10 students learnt about the red meat supply chains in Belgium, The Netherlands and Ireland, visiting farms, food processing plants and meeting university and industry research groups in a two-week study tour.
A separate group of 18 students learnt about China’s agricultural farming systems and Australia’s agricultural and economic relationships with this country.
Dr Liselotte Pannier, coordinator of both trips, said relating their education to the real world experiences of farmers and producers in different countries, was invaluable for the students.
“Talking to professionals and visiting enterprises places their learning into context with the real agricultural sector,” Dr Pannier said.
“The experiences also gave our students the opportunity to make industry contacts and build international networks, which will help to make them more employable after graduation.”
Dr Pannier said the students also benefited greatly through social and cultural development.
Student Claire Powell, who was among the students to visit Europe, said it was thought-provoking to compare the technological and management innovations between the two continents.
“The parts of Europe we visited have a very different climate to Australia, so it was interesting to compare the management strategies undertaken in both continents to better manage livestock,” she said.
Jamie Nykiel, who visited China, said her experience will benefit her work in the sheep industry.
“I presented afterwards at LambEx on abattoir accreditation for chilled meat export to China, so it was very interesting to learn about tariffs and trade agreements whilst I was over there,” she said. “It was also an incredible cultural experience unlike anything I've ever done before.”
The European trip was co-funded by the Western Australian Government’s Science and Agribusiness Connect Tertiary Program (WAGSAC) and the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences at Murdoch.
The visit to China was funded by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan mobility program, WAGSAC and by Murdoch University.