The Role of Agricultural Colleges in Modern
Society
The University as an Instrument in Social and Economic Development
By Frithjof Kuhnen
Among the most important institutions in the revolutionary
development of agriculture over the last 50 years are the
colleges of agriculture2. As brain center for agricultural
progress, they provided with their research efforts the scientific
knowledge base, their training increased the quality of the
human agent of production, and in many cases, their extension
activities brought new knowledge down to the peasant.
In spite of all the contributions made by agricultural colleges
in recent times, there is a growing discussion on the role
of colleges of agriculture in modern society which, so far,
culminated in the World Conference on Agricultural Education
and Training, organized by the United Nations at Copenhagen,
and in its follow-up meetings. There seems to be an increasing
awareness that the changes in agriculture and the requirements
of a modern economy require certain adaptions in the understanding
of agricultural colleges as to the role they have to play.
In order to reassess the role of agricultural colleges in
modern society, we will first elaborate on the two main determinants
for the role of agricultural colleges, i.e. the role of agriculture
and the role of universities in modern society. On this basis,
conclusions will be drawn on the teaching and research activities
of colleges of agriculture needed to meet the requirements
of today.
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