Feed the Future Scholarships Support Agricultural Research in Senegal

On International Women’s Day, 2012, Feed the Future launched a scholarship program focused primarily on women students in Senegal enrolled in training courses in agricultural research. The 140 scholarships, worth a cumulative $1.5 million and funded through USAID, will support a variety of educational activities ranging from undergraduate studies to doctoral programs in the United States at Virginia Tech University, a partner in Feed the Future programming.

To commemorate the launch, USAID/Senegal Deputy Director Alfreda Brewer participated in a ceremony at Gaston Berger University in historic Saint-Louis, Senegal’s original capital city.

“Sixty percent of these scholarships will be awarded to female students to encourage excellence, promote education, and further training and promotion of agricultural research in Senegal,” Brewer said. “These scholarships are intended for outstanding students who have completed, in their first year of study, significant results, and have shown real potential to excel in disciplines related to food security.”

The scholarships are expected to improve the integration of women into academia and the agriculture sector, empowering them to be active participants in Senegal’s economy and food security goals.