Global Programs
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences believes we have a responsibility to provide opportunities that facilitate students become global citizens. There are numerous advantages of studying abroad - it’s a unique opportunity to discover new ways of living and thinking and become more aware of various cultures. Faculty from CAFES offer many opportunities for students across campus to study abroad. Students can search for these options through the Study Abroad website at studyabroad.calpoly.edu. Students interested in study abroad should attend a Study Abroad 101 Workshop.
Read more information about studying abroad and workshops here
Cal Poly Global Programs
The programs listed below are led by faculty in CAFES
Cal Poly in Australia
- Co-led by Dr. Michael Costello, Wine and Viticulture, in Winter Quarter 2019; Dr. Cristina Connolly, Agribusiness, in Winter Quarter 2018; and Dr. Lynn Hamilton, Agribusiness, inWinter Quarter 2017 (additional co-leaders were from CLA)
- This is a campus wide program with rotating faculty leaders each year commonly from CAFES and CLA
- The Cal Poly in Australia program is a 7-week program offered during Winter Quarter in Adelaide, Australia that includes tours of local wine regions throughout South Australia, visits to local wildlife parks and cultural museums, and an overnight excursion to neighboring Kangaroo Island. Students commonly take major-related coursework in either Agribusiness or Wine and Viticulture while also taking general education coursework focusing on the history, culture, or geography of Australia.
Environmental Management and Sustainability in Taiwan
- Led by Dr. Yiwen Chiu, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
- Program ran for the first time in Summer 2018 and is also planned for Summer 2019
- The Environmental Management and Sustainability in Taiwan program is a five-week summer program taking place in Taipei and Nantou, Taiwan. Students have the opportunity to learn about contemporary environmental challenges ranging from community to global levels while taking part in field trips to explore environmental and social characteristics challenging sustainable development.
European Wine Tour
- Led by Dr. Benoit Lecat and Dr. Federico Casassa, Wine and Viticulture
- Program ran for the first time in Summer 2018 with tentative plans to continue in Summer 2020
- Through travel in Western European vineyards, the European Wine Tour course gives an overview of the diversity and complexity of the European vineyards while providing students the opportunity to learn more of the specifics of their concentration in either viticulture, enology, or wine business. The course provides students with a deep understanding of the relationship between food, wine, tourism and business in Europe from both a theoretical and practical dimension.
Business and Agriculture in Kenya
- Co-led by Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh, Horticulture and Crop Science, and Dr. Keri Schwab, Experience Industry Management
- Program ran for first and only time in Summer 2017
- Through a partnership with Children of Hope, a non-profit children’s home based in Kikuyu, Kenya, eleven Cal Poly students spent three weeks abroad and developed extensive business plans aimed to increase the children’s home’s revenue by utilizing and improving existing resources on-site. The program was made possible by a generous $38,000 scholarship donation to the Global Scholars Fund from a private donor which provided financial support to all 11 student participants.
Sustainable Tourism in the Dominican Republic
- This program ran during spring break 2017. It was led by Prof. Keri Schwab.
- Students took RPTA-412 with Prof. Schwab during the winter 2017 quarter, and then spent a week in the Dominican Republic engaging in activities with local experts in various areas of the sustainable tourism industry.
- This program has since been discontinued.
Adventure Tourism in Costa Rica
- This program ran during spring break 2018. It was led by Prof. Marni Goldenberg.
- Students took RPTA-412 with Prof. Goldenberg during the winter 2018 quarter, and then spent a week in Costa Rica visiting and engaging with local experts in a variety of adventure tourism sites throughout the coastal and rainforest regions of the country.
- This program has since been discontinued.
Agribusiness in Mexico
- A new program is in development, slated to start in summer 2020. It will be led by Prof. Tim Delbridge.
- CAFES students will spend several weeks in Guadalajara learning about the agricultural industry in Mexico and its connections with the California agriculture industry. The key strength of the program will be its ability to generate student interaction with employees and managers of U.S.-based agricultural companies that have operations in Mexico.
- Courses taught will be Agribusiness courses such as Agricultural Policy, Transportation and Logistics, World Food Economy, or similar. The vision is to offer this program on an annual basis.
Participation
| CAFES Study Abroad Participation for AY 2017 - 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Major | Students | Total |
| Agribusiness | Agricultural Business | 62 | 62 |
| Agricultural Education & Communication | Agricultural Communication | 5 | 10 |
| Agricultural Education | 1 | ||
| Agricultural Science | 4 | ||
| Agricultural Engineering | Agricultural Systems Management | 2 | 2 |
| Animal Science | Animal Science | 24 | 28 |
| Dairy Science | 4 | ||
| BioResource & Agricultural Engineering | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | 1 | 1 |
| Experience Industry Management | Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration | 25 | 25 |
| Food Science and Nutrition | Food Science | 6 | 22 |
| Nutrition | 16 | ||
| Horticulture & Crop Science | Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences | 4 | 4 |
| Natural Resources Mgt and Environmental Sciences | Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences | 6 | 27 |
| Environmental Earth Science | 1 | ||
| Environmental Management and Protection | 17 | ||
| Forestry and Natural Resources | 3 | ||
| Wine & Viticulture | Wine and Viticulture | 39 | 39 |
| Total | 220 | ||
| CAFES Study Abroad Participation for AY 2016 - 2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Major | Students | Total |
| Agribusiness | Agricultural Business | 39 | 39 |
| Agricultural Education & Communication | Agricultural Communication | 4 | 12 |
| Agricultural Education | 1 | ||
| Agricultural Science | 7 | ||
| Animal Science | Animal Science | 21 | 24 |
| Dairy Science | 3 | ||
| BioResource & Agricultural Engineering | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | 3 | 5 |
| Agricultural Systems Management | 2 | ||
| Experience Industry Management | Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration | 29 | 29 |
| Food Science and Nutrition | Food Science | 5 | 19 |
| Nutrition | 14 | ||
| Horticulture & Crop Science | Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences | 6 | 6 |
| Natural Resources Mgt and Environmental Sciences | Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences | - | 26 |
| Environmental Earth Science | 4 | ||
| Environmental Management and Protection | 20 | ||
| Forestry and Natural Resources | 2 | ||
| Wine & Viticulture | Wine and Viticulture | 17 | 17 |
| Total | 177 | ||
| CAFES Study Abroad Participation for AY 2015 - 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Major | Students | Total |
| Agribusiness | Agricultural Business | 35 | 35 |
| Agricultural Education & Communication | Agricultural Communication | - | |
| Agricultural Education | 8 | 8 | |
| Agricultural Science | - | ||
| Animal Science | Animal Science | 19 | 19 |
| Dairy Science | - | ||
| BioResource & Agricultural Engineering | BioResource and Agricultural Engineering | - | 2 |
| Agricultural Systems Management | 2 | ||
| Experience Industry Management | Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration | 29 | 29 |
| Food Science and Nutrition | Food Science | → | 23 |
| (Majors combined for AY 15-16) | Nutrition | → | |
| Horticulture & Crop Science | Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences | 3 | 3 |
| Natural Resources Mgt and Environmental Sciences | Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences | 1 | 25 |
| (Natural Resources Mgmt accounted for 23 students) | Environmental Earth Science | - | |
| Environmental Management and Protection | - | ||
| Forestry and Natural Resources | 1 | ||
| Wine & Viticulture | Wine and Viticulture | 12 | 12 |
| Total | 156 | ||