Gilman Foreign Policy in Focus

Current Gilman Scholars, Gilman Alumni and U.S. college and university students, faculty and administrators are invited to participate in a four-part virtual seminar series presented by Pennsylvania State University’s Ag Sciences Global in the College of Agricultural Sciences.  

Please see the recordings of each seminar linked below

If you have any questions, please contact gilmanevents@iie.org.  

The goal of this interdisciplinary, interactive seminar series is to enhance participants’ understanding of global food security through a foreign policy lens, including the environmental, political, and economic impacts of these issues. There is no fee to attend these seminars and individuals may attend the entire series or individual events.  Events are recorded and available on the series website.   

• Friday, February 9, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET – Current State of Global Food Security 
  • This seminar provides a foundational overview of key concepts, current trends and developments related to global food security and applications to global food security situations around the globe. 
  • View Recording

• Friday, February 23, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET – Climate Change and Global Food Security 
  • Climate change is a critical, cross-cutting theme for agricultural development.  This seminar will discuss patterns and trends of a changing climate, the impact on agriculture and global food security and approaches to adapt to and mitigate these impacts. 
  • View Recording

• Friday, March 29, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET – Gender and Global Food Security 
  • Gender is a critical, cross-cutting theme for agricultural development.  This seminar will discuss the challenges women and men have in producing food, approaches to adding the gender gap and case studies of world efforts to promote gender equality in food production. 
  • View Recording

• Friday, April 26, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET – Government and Global Food Security 
  • This seminar will explore how government policies can influence local and international practices around the world, taking a look at how governments address food security in several countries around the world. 
  • View Recording

Location: Washington, DC

Host: Pennsylvania State University

Dates: June 6-7, 2024

Arrive in Washington, DC on June 5 and depart on June 8

This summer, the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Program, in partnership with Pennsylvania State University, will host a three-day, interactive seminar in Washington, DC.  This seminar will include meetings, discussions, and site visits to organizations focused on food security locally, nationally,  and globally. Participants will examine challenges and opportunities in food security through the lens of organizations like USAID, Oxfam America, the World Bank, the State Department’s Office of Global Food Security, and and state and local organizations in D.C. area. Participants will hear from and network with professionals working in a variety of food security related roles and explore related career paths and opportunities.

Location: Colombia

Host: U.S. Embassy Bogota and Fulbright Colombia

Dates: August 4 – 10, 2024

This summer, the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Program, in partnership with the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá and the Fulbright Commission in Colombia, will host a week-long, interactive seminar in Colombia (Bogotá, Cali, and Palmira). The seminar aims to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration among Gilman alumni, local researchers, experts, and indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in Bogotá and Cali. Focused on urgent agricultural and food security issues from a bi-national perspective, the event seeks to uncover common ground for cooperation. Workshops, conferences, field visits, and networking sessions, spearheaded by security experts, will compose the seminar’s agenda. Hosted by esteemed Colombian research institutions like the National University of Colombia, Universidad del Valle, CIAT, and AGROSAVIA, the event promises a robust platform for dialogue and action. Cultural programming will enrich the experience, embracing the diversity of each city. These events and the Gilman Scholarship Program are programs of the Department of State’s USA Study Abroad office in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

Location: New Zealand

Host: U.S. Embassy Wellington

Dates: August 25 – 31, 2024

This summer, the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Program, in partnership with the U.S. Mission to New Zealand and Rural Leaders, will host a week-long, interactive seminar for Gilman alumni working in fields related to global food security to examine how New Zealand navigates geopolitical and climate change risks as an agrarian state. New Zealand is a prime case study in global food security. Each year New Zealand exports an estimated 90% of its dairy, meat, fruit, and vegetable production to the tune of USD 32 billion. However, geopolitical tensions and climate change pose significant risks to New Zealand’s farming sector, and thus, global food security at large. Seminar participants will be able to see first-hand the practices and policies New Zealand employs to mitigate threats to food security. The seminar will adopt an interdisciplinary perspective and include sessions with government, civil society, private sector, academia, and food industry contacts. It will also include relevant site visits to farming operations, AgTech businesses, and cultural and community activities. These events and the Gilman Scholarship Program are programs of the Department of State’s USA Study Abroad office in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

Location: Zimbabwe

Host: U.S. Embassy Harare

Dates: July 29 – August 2, 2024

This summer, the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Program, in partnership with the U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe and Hozi Innovator, will host a week-long multidisciplinary seminar highlighting the challenges and innovations that permeate food security issues in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.  Gilman participants will interact with the Food and Nutrition Council of Zimbabwe (FNC), the nation’s convener and coordinator of food and nutrition security issues.  Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe’s precarious food security situation faces threats from a combination of man-made and natural conditions.  As Zimbabweans and their partners rise to meet these challenges, their approaches are dynamic and multi-sectoral, drawing on traditional farming methods as well as technological advances, and fostering growth of local and global market linkage. Zimbabwe offers a unique opportunity to study and appreciate food security issues in a complex economy and politically challenging environment. Seminar interlocutors offering their unique perspectives on food security will include international and local development partners, academics and researchers, and U.S. government-funded exchange program alumni.  Gilman participants will experience Zimbabwean agricultural systems through a combination of panel discussions, workshops and site visits to development projects, agricultural research stations, and rural farming communities.  The seminar will emphasize new global trends and technologies, challenges in managing resilience and nutrition initiatives, and building relationships between Gilman participants and Zimbabwean counterparts to facilitate collaborative research, publication and professional networking. These events and the Gilman Scholarship Program are programs of the Department of State’s USA Study Abroad office in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.