Campus Hosts Atlantis Program European Partners

Photo Submitted

Bruce Ahrendsen (far right in photo), professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness, hosted the Atlantis program’s European faculty board visit to the University of Arkansas. During one of the sessions, board members listened to a point addressed by Frederik Dewulf (at left from Ahrendsen), technical coordinator for the University of Ghent in Belgium. In the photo’s foreground is Professor Guido Van Huylenbroeck, dean of the faculty of bioscience engineering at the University of Ghent.

The University of Arkansas hosted a week-long international exchange visit May 27-31 by agricultural economics and rural development faculty from universities in five European nations who participate in the Atlantis double degree program with the agricultural economics and agribusiness department in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Sessions during the week included opportunities to discuss the program's academic issues, tours of several Northwest Arkansas business and cultural sites and meetings with U of A faculty and administrators.

The two-year Atlantis program enables students pursuing a master's degree in agricultural economics and agribusiness at the U of A to also earn a joint master's degree in rural development from the partner universities in Belgium, France, Germany, Slovakia and Italy. Graduate students in rural development from the European universities also study at the Fayetteville campus as part of their academic work. The U.S. Department of Education and the European Commission support the program. More information about the program is available at http://uark.edu/ua/atlantis/.