Agricultural Science
The U.S. Department of State has launched the 2024 Gilman World Food Security Seminar.
Gilman Scholars visited the U.S. Department of State and received a briefing on the importance of food security to U.S. foreign policy. The group is in Flag Hall, which displays the flags of countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations. (Photo by Ty Butler/Penn State University)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The U.S. Department of State has commended the Penn State College of Agriculture’s Ag Sciences Global office for its exceptional contributions to the hosting of the 2024 Gilman World Food Security Seminar Series.
The recognition highlights the College’s dedicated efforts in successfully coordinating a virtual lecture series this spring and hosting an in-person conference in Washington, DC in early June (the Gilman Foreign Policy Focus: Global Food Security Seminar), which provided a forum for fruitful discussion and knowledge sharing.
The U.S. Department of State launched the 2024 Gilman World Food Security Seminar as part of the U.S. government’s efforts to address the foreign policy priority of world food security within the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, noted Study Abroad Outreach Officer Cybelle Cochran.
“The virtual series hosted by AgScience Global, followed by an in-person seminar in Washington, D.C., provided Gilman program alumni working in food security with the opportunity to gain insights from government and non-government leaders in the field,” she said. “We are grateful to Dr. Deanna Behring and Dr. Noel Havasy. [of Ag Sciences Global]”We’d like to thank , and the entire Penn State team, for their tireless efforts in supporting this series.”
Behring, associate dean for international programs and director of Ag Sciences Global, said the university was honored to be asked to organize and support the program.
“Our university is at the forefront of addressing global challenges such as hunger,” she said.
She pointed to the recent Times Higher Education 2024 University Impact Rankings, which assessed 1,963 UN member universities against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“For SDG 2, ‘Zero Hunger,’ Penn State ranked third in the nation and 10th in the world,” Behring said.
The university received a Gilman International Scholarship Grant from the State Department to host the Gilman Virtual Seminar on World Food Security. The interactive seminar, held this spring and attended by more than 1,100 people, looked at the four pillars of food security from economic, political, social and technological perspectives, said Habashi, assistant professor and coordinator of the international agriculture minor at the university.
“It was an honor to bring this important conversation about world food security to this special gathering of individuals, the Gilman Scholars,” he said. “I jumped at the chance to lead this seminar series, especially since it is a natural extension of the International Agriculture minor, which provides insight into the real-world challenges of global food security and gives students the opportunity to visit organizations in Washington, D.C., to learn about their efforts in supporting food security.”
These virtual sessions were followed by triplicate meetings, the first of which took place in Washington, D.C., in June and was hosted by Ag Sciences Global. The meeting brought together 50 Gilman Scholarship recipients, and the session drew 700 applicants. “It was very competitive,” Behring said.
The seminar curriculum was developed by Ag Sciences Global faculty and focused on enhancing the skills of Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program graduates. The curriculum addressed issues aligned with key U.S. foreign policy goals. Participants explored innovative practices and potential solutions to combat global food insecurity.
They also met with representatives from organizations including the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Department of Agriculture, the World Bank, Oxfam America and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
One of the Gilman Scholars who attended the gathering was Leticia Naulti, founder and executive director of Expanding Boundaries International, a Westminster, Maryland-based nonprofit that strives to equip young people with a global mindset and technology skills for the domestic and international workforce.
Naughty wrote in her blog that one of the most impactful moments was hearing personal stories and testimonials from fellow scholars and experts, as she shared her own journey and the seminar series empowered her to support her plans to launch an agriculture-focused study abroad program in Ghana and other developing countries through Expanding Boundaries International.
“This seminar series not only broadened my understanding of food security but also highlighted the importance of intersectoral collaboration,” she said. “The connections made and knowledge gained will undoubtedly influence future efforts to address food security within my community.”
Seminars hosted by the U.S. embassies in Colombia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe are also planned.
The Gilman program aims to expand U.S. students’ participation in international education by providing Pell Grant recipients with scholarships for study abroad and internships. Gilman alumni from around the U.S. participating in the seminar series represent a range of professions addressing global food security issues, including agriculture, nutrition, ecology and policy development.
–Amy Duke, Pennsylvania State University
