A short-term training course for agricultural personnel from five African countries started July 7 in the southern county of Pingtung as part of deepening exchanges between Taiwan and the continent.
According to the Ministry of Education, the session is being held at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, and involves 28 individuals from the Kingdon of Eswatini, Somaliland, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. The participants hail from a wide range of sectors, including academics, lawmakers, researchers and agricultural production facility owners.
The three-week program focuses on sustainable and smart agriculture and offers classes on topics spanning animal science, animal husbandry, plant medicine and tropical agriculture. Participants will also take field trips to agricultural and husbandry facilities and attend seminars organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the MOE said.
The intensive training will enhance fundamental knowledge, hands-on experience and practical skills, so that participants can later become bridges of communication with agricultural missions from Taiwan and accelerate contributions to their home countries’ agricultural development.
According to the MOE, the training course began in 2023 as part of the African Elite Talent Cultivation Program, which was launched in 2021 by the Ministries of Agriculture, Economic Affairs, Education, Foreign Affairs, as well as Health and Welfare, and the Overseas Community Affairs Council.
In response to the African Union’s “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want,” the AETCP aims to assist countries on the continent to cultivate high level personnel to expand bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and countries on the continent, the MOE said. (SFC-E)
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