Sponsored by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
Mississippi State University (MSU) hosted the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Scientific Exchange Program (SEP) Fellowship where we welcomed 11 fellows from 8 countries to MSU from August 8-November 3, 2023. The project was focused on "establishing and harmonizing SPS regulatory regimes across the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the African Union (AU)".
During the fellows time at MSU, they met with USDA leaders in Washington, DC both pre- and post-program. They collaborated with 11 faculty experts from MSU who serves as, and will continue to serve as, their mentors for this program. Their mentors provided learning opportunities for their fellows in addition to the primary programming. Toward the end of their time in the U.S., the fellows attended the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, IA where they heard from leading experts on food security research and efforts.
A picture collage demonstrates the various activities the fellows engaged in during their time in the U.S. An African continental workshop is being planned for May 2024.
This project has been ongoing since 2020 and will conclude in August 2024.
MSU was recently awarded the SEP Fellowship on African Animal Feed and Fertilizer Innovation. The University looks forward to welcoming fellows in the summer 2024.