From October 2012 postgraduate students registering on the MSc in International Rural Development (IRD) and the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (SAFS) at the Royal Agricultural College can apply for new international support grants to undertake internships (work placements) overseas as part of their studies.  All new students registering in 2012 on these courses will have the opportunity, once registered as students, to apply for a travel grant to a maximum value of £1000.

The students will be encouraged to gain relevant work experience with international organisations and aid charities actively engaged in development work overseas. 

The value of such College support has been clearly demonstrated during the last six years by the Africa Land and Food Fellowship, where considerable benefits have been gained by postgraduate Fellows working with a wide range of significant organisations as part of their leadership programme.  

Dr Richard Baines, Director of Africa Programmes at RAC, is strongly committed to such work-based learning experience with overseas development organisations.  'I am very pleased that College is recognising the considerable value of such international development work and has agreed to provide such student support more widely.  It is particularly valuable experience for aspiring development professionals in helping progress their international careers ' he says.      

Dr John Conway who manages these international masters programmes at College adds  'there has never been a more important and critical time for appropriate work experience to be gained on such key global topics as 'food security'  'climate change'  'sustainable development'  and  'natural resource management' - and our students should benefit immensely from this new funding.   In addition to Africa Fellows working overseas, other IRD students are also currently progressing research projects during their studies in various countries - including Ethiopia, Honduras, South Africa, the Philippines and Kenya - and we look forward to now offering these opportunities much more widely’. 

'At a time when the world needs more food than ever before, in an increasingly fragile environment with more and more demands being made on scarce resources', states Professor Paul Davies, 'there is a critical need for greater leadership in sustainable development. We believe, at the Royal Agricultural College, that tomorrow’s leaders in international development should gain both a sound theoretical understanding and practical application experience of important development needs.  New international internships will help more of our students gain this invaluable professional experience'.

Find out more about this grant and other scholarships available for students on the MSc International Rural Development or the MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.