February 14, 2023
Haiti Initiative Through the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab Announces the First Enrollment of Students at Haitian Universities
Through the support and leadership of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Sustainable Intensification (SIIL) at Kansas State University, the Haiti Agricultural University Partnership: Center for Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience to Climate-Change in Haiti (HAUP-CEMARCH) project provides educational opportunities for Bachelor of Sciences to pursue a degree in the agricultural sciences. The Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAMV) is one of six Haitian universities in the project, and the first to announce the scholarships to students through the HAUP-CEMARCH program.
HAUP-CEMARCH is a long-term investment made by USAID to advance agriculture-led inclusive economic growth in Haiti. One objective of HAUP-CEMARCH is to strengthen the Haitian institutions that train agricultural professionals, working in partnership with six Haitian universities to develop and establish improved agriculture curriculum. The intent is to have agricultural training in Haiti, by Haitians, for Haitians.
Vara Prasad, director of the SIIL, university distinguished professor; and R.O. Kruse Professor of Agriculture at K-State; said, "We are excited that this program has started and is moving forward, as it will build the capacity of youth in agricultural sciences, which is critical for economic and social development of Haiti. We truly thank USAID for supporting this important initiative in Haiti.”
“We are quite excited that our partner universities in Haiti are enrolling students in agricultural majors, with the support of the HAUP-CEMARCH initiative,” said Elizabeth Guertal, project director for HAUP-CEMARCH.
The Dean of FAMV, Dr. Jocelyn Louissaint, announced: "thanks to the support of this project, the Dean’s Office, with the agreement of the Board of Directors of FAMV, has decided to take advantage of this opportunity by increasing the number of admissions from 100 to 114 for the Class of 2022-2027." In addition to the increase in BS students, funding from HAUP-CEMARCH will also support a new MS program (to be launched in September of 2023). New students started their BS training on January 9, 2023, attending classes at the university.