Agriculture is the building block for all human life, so it comes to no surprise that universities all over the world offer degrees in various agricultural fields. Many universities have their own recirculating aquaculture systems and poultry, swine, and bovine farms for research initiatives. Agriculture is an art, and it takes years to master in large-scale production. This is why universities offer animal science degrees to not only optimize your knowledge of animals but to also lay down a solid foundation before heading into your desired field.
India
India’s agricultural schools are governed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) noting that there are 3 Central Agricultural Universities, 4 Deemed Universities, and 64 State Agricultural Universities that are formally recognized. The ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world with 101 organizations in total, and it reports directly to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education in the Ministry of Agriculture. The cooperation of all these research centers and universities helped develop a vaccine for the avian influenza strain H5N1, and scientists were able to sequence the pigeon pea genome for the first time. A major milestone for India was when ICAR was able to launch the Krishi network app that gives on-demand assistance to farmers all across the country.
Thailand
Thailand has 14 public universities, 1 private university, and 1 international institute that specializes in agricultural studies. Many of these universities work with the Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA) which is a public government organization under the supervision of the Minister of Agriculture Cooperatives. Chulalongkorn University, established in 1917, is the oldest higher education institute in Thailand and is a highly competitive, autonomous research institute. Admission into CU is highly selective, and upon graduating, students receive their diploma from the King of Thailand himself. A major milestone for this university is working with K.C. Rungruang Rice Mill CO., Ltd., to produce a shelf-stable ready-to-eat cooked rice to add an alternative product to the market and help repackage some of the 800 tons of rice produced at the K.C. facility per day.
China
China’s top animal science universities include Huazhong Agriculture University (HZAU), Zhejiang University, Nanjing Agriculture University, and China Agricultural University. Their animal science degree program “is based on the understanding and mastering of the life rules of animal’s genetic variation, growth and development, reproduction, digestion, and metabolism, etc.” These programs have a multitude of research initiatives. For example, over a span of 5 years at HZAU, there were 2,442 research projects of which 8 projects won national scientific and technological achievements awards, 13 won provincial and ministerial first prizes, and 176 patents have been granted. Many of these schools have similar types of accolades, and they receive over 150 million USD in funding at the top institutes.
The United States
The United States has 62 universities that offer agriculture programs with some of the top-ranked universities consisting of Cornell University, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, and Texas A&M University. NCH Corporation’s Vision Award recipient and Lead Scientist at NCH Life Sciences, Dr. Gabby Everett, graduated from Texas A&M University. Texas A&M is a public research institution founded in 1876 and has an endowment valued at $11 billion USD. The Department of Poultry Science works with the Texas Animal Health Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture and has 61 publications. The Department of Animal Science is the largest and most complex animal science department in the nation with its research spanning from equine, beef, dairy, swine, sheep, and goats. Their research initiatives are sub-divided into 10 different divisions and have produced hundreds of publications.
The world will always need food. Universities are working together and with other companies to lower the risk of disease, but also improve the lives of animals at the farms. NCH Life Sciences is dedicated to aiding in these causes and through our patented probiotic technology; we are going to change the industry, as we know it.