10 September 2018
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Professor Gerry Boyle Dir Teagasc, Kate O’Brien UCC, Phil Hogan European Commissioner Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Karen McCarthy UCC and Prof John O’Halloran UCC Deputy President ,UCC and Teagasc celebrate launching collaborative Agricultural Sciences degree program, putting Cork back at the centre of Irish Agri-Food.
Photography by Gerard McCarthy
‘Cork is the true home of Food and Agriculture” – That’s the message being underpinned by the offering of an exciting new Agricultural Science degree at University College Cork, in collaboration with Teagasc.
The innovative new Agricultural Science degree, which is delivered in partnership with Teagasc, will emphasize knowledge-based teaching and research to support graduates for the Agriculture and Agri-Food industry.
The new B. Agri. programme, which was launched in UCC on Saturday, September 8th, will focus on practical skills, the scientific basis of agriculture, and on supporting students to gain skills in farm management, business acumen and modern farm technology over their four years of study. This will also encompass a placement opportunity, which will provide students with a tangible experience of working in modern Irish agriculture.
The degree will be anchored in the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Studies at UCC, and in the Animal & Grasslands Research Centre in Teagasc Moorepark, allowing students to learn and experience the excellence of both UCC and Teagasc.
Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc, said: “The Irish dairy industry is in an exciting time of significant expansion, presenting challenges and opportunities for enthusiastic, young, highly skilled graduates. This degree will equip future leaders of the dairy industry with the scientific, technical and business skills needed to drive future expansion and competitiveness. This new Programme will further strengthen our excellent collaboration with UCC under the Teagasc/UCC Strategic Alliance and is further evidence of our commitment to collaborate with the university sector to help deliver the skills and innovation needed by our agri-food sector.”
