ATC Summer School

Agriculture and Environment About ATC

The Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC) was founded through the collaborative effort of the Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU) and Texas A&M University and the financial and technical support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing Assistance Project. The Center provides agricultural business education, which will sustain private entrepreneurship growth in the food and agriculture sector in Armenia. From this perspective, ATC is a unique and successful synthesis reflecting a U.S. style agribusiness education adjusted to the Armenian situation. ATC prepares agribusiness specialists armed with broad economic, marketing, and managerial views, up-to-date communication skills and good knowledge of English.

General Overview
The relationship between agriculture and the environment is not static. Agriculture has intensified and intensification in turn has increased pressure on the environment. Other changes include marginalisation and the development of both agri-environment measures and organic farming. The desired relationship between agriculture and the environment can be captured by the term "sustainable agriculture". This calls for management of natural resources in a way which ensures that their benefits are also available for the future. The agriculture sector performs its tasks with a view to the protection, preservation and improvement in the quality of water, air and soil, in the abundance of bio-diversity and in preservation and enrichment of the landscape. In one hand professors will introduce and discuss above mentioned problems all around the world as well as in Armenia, in the other hand participants will represent the problems and how they deal with them in their countries.

Objectives
The aim of summer school is to exchange knowledge and experience about connection of agriculture and environment, current issues, and to discuss potential ways to achieve sustainability. Besides, this project will give opportunity to represent our country, culture and history. And last but not least Summer School will raise awareness of international students about Agribusiness Teaching Center and ICARE foundation.

Speakers
Climate Change: Diana Harutyunyan, Climate Change Program Coordinator UNDP Armenia Renewable Energy and its Applications in Agriculture: Vahe Odabashyan, Energy Use in Agriculture: Edward Safaryan, Sustainability in Agriculture: Petros Tozalakyan, Green architecture and agriculture: Alen Amirkhanyan, Agriculture Cooperatives as a way Sustainable Agriculture Vardan Urutyan, Director ICARE Armenia Water Use and Water Recycling Fertilizers and GMOs Fisheries

Eligibility
The target group of Summer School consists of undergraduates and graduates of any field who are interested in the topic. Applicants will be request to submit the following documents Motivation letter / CV Application form

Scholarships
There is NO PARTICIPATION FEE. ATC Summer School will cover these following costs: Accommodation in Hostel in the center of Yerevan; 3 times meal per day during the week; Local transportation; Field trips and other social programs; Pick-up service from and to airport / bus station / railway station; All study materials The applicant must cover travel and insurance expenses by her or his own.

Dates
ATC Summer School will take place in Yerevan from August 13 to 20, 2012 (TBD).