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ljr) dliduntry / , 51" fBC 1, 0 0,*0 ~* S S 4,. 6 st1' . ., ,.. ...........,. ... i T.:-,-.=C...AE A p *,*.2, le SRI LANKA AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Final Report 1979-1986 Margarita F.B. Driscoll Consorldum Coordinator Stephen F. Moseley Officer-in-Charge September 1986 This report was prepared under Contract No. AID/ASIA-C-1397 for Technical Services to Project 383-0049 tar Agricultural Education Development, Sri Lanka between the Academy for Educational Development, Inc. and The U. S. Agency for International Development CONSORTIUM FOR INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT The Academy for Educational Development. Inc. The Pennsylvania State University Texas A&M University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Field Office: Agricultural Education Development Project. Postgraduate Institute oi Agriculture, The University of Peradenya. Sri Lanka Telephone (08)88203 Home Office: 1255 Twenty.third Street. N.W., Washington. D.C. 20037 Telephone: (202) 8Q2.1900 Telex ACADED WSH 89660 Cable: ACADED WASHINGTON. D.C. FOREWORD This report represents the culmiuation of more than 10 years ofplanning and action to enhance Sri Lanka's meet its needs for agricultural ability to personnel trained to the baccalaureate and postgraduate levels. Soon after its founding, the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA) recognized that outside assistance would be required to enable it to achieve its goal-to provide high quality postgraduate education in agriculture to satisfy most of Sri Lanka's agricultural manpower needs. Under the leadership of Dr. R.R. Appadural, then PGIA Director and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, the PGIA had prepared a development plan by early 1977 which was presented to USAID/Sri Lanka (and other potential donor agencies) with a request for assistance. During that same year the Faculty of Agriculture also prepared a plan for ite future development. In response to the PGIA request, the USAID Mission asked the Academy for Educational Development to send a team to Sri Lanka in late 1977 to conduct a study of the country's projected needs for trained agricultural manpower, and to work with the PGIA In further developing its proposal. The manpower study revealed the need to expand the Faculty of Agriculture and PGIA capacity in order to satisfy the anticipated demand for baccalaureate and postgraduate degree holders in agriculture during the next five to 10 years. The team recommended that assistance be provided to strengthen and expand the capacity of both the PGIA and Faculty of Agriculture. A Project Grant Agreement between the Governments of Sri Lanka and the United States for the Agriculture Educa tion Development Project was signed in August 1978. and a contract for providing technical services to the project was awarded to the Academy for Educational Development in consortium with Pennsylvania State University. Texas A&M University, and Virginia Tech University in March 1979. The Contractor's Chief of Party arrived in Peradeniya in early July. and the first 10junior faculty members departed for postgraduate training at the three consortium universities August and September. The in record of solid achievement since that time is detailed in this report. No report can fully capture the human elements that make such achievements possible, however. The leadership and dedication of the PGIA Directors and Boards of Study. and of the Faculty of Agriculture Deans, Department Heads, and Staff, were preeminent in this regard. The quality and high motivation ofjunlor faculty selected for training, and the wil lingness offaculty who remained on campus to assume additional teaching loads while thoseJunkir faculty were in train ing were exceptional. Continuing strong support from the Chairman of the University Grants Commission and USAID ficials were critical to the project's success. of The dedication and commitment of Academy for Educational Development and consortium university administrators and staff were never in doubt. Undergraduate and postgraduate students also must be mentioned. Thus. the story of the Agricultural Education Development Project is a story of many people-Sri Lankans and others-worPng together to achieve a common goal. The project also benefited from numerous projects supported by other donors who contributed significantly to achieving that same goal. The financial support received from AID and other donors was essential. But, it was the dedication, leadership, and hard work of these people that made it possible to translate that support into strengthened and expanded institutions and programs in spite ofthe serious communal and other problems encountered in recent years. Howard E. Ray Vice President and Dirmctor AgriculturalSciences and Technology TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword ....................................................... ................................................................. .............. iV 1.0 Background ............................................................................................................................ 1.1 Geography of Sr. Lanka..................................................................................................... 1.2 Colonial Agricultural Economy ......................................................................................... 1.3 Modem Economic Patterns in Agriculture ........................................................................ 2 1.4 Origins of the Postgraduate Institute ofAgriculture ................................................... ....... 2 1.5 Agricultural Manpower Study: Findings and Recommendations ............................ ........ 3 2.0 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Consortium for Agricultural Education Development Project.................................... 5 2.2 Project Goal ...................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Project Activities ................................................................................................................ 5 2.4 Consortium Contributions to Project Beyond Contract .................................................................................................... ... 5 3.0 Training..................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Participant Selection, Placement and Academic Program......................................... 7 3.2 Long-term Academic Training.................................................................................... 7 3.2.1 Department of Agricultural 3ioloIy. .................................................................... 7 3.2.2 Department of Agricultural Chemisuy ............................................................ 7 3.2.3 Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension................................... 8 3.2.4 Department of Agricultural Engineering............................ 8 3.2.5 Department of Animal Science........................................................................ 8 3.2.6 Department of Crop Science ..................................... 8 3.3 Participants in Training After PACD............................................................................ 8 3.4 Attrition Among Long-term Academic Training Participants ......................... 8 3.5 Short-term Technical Training........................ ........................................................ .9 3.6 Lessons Learned Concerning Participant Training.................................................... 10 4.0 Technical Assistance ............................................................................................................. 13 4.1 Rationale and Objectives ............................................................................................ 13 4.2 Long-term Technical Assistance ......................... ... 13 4.3 Short-term Technical Assistance............................... 14 5.0 Library Development ..................................................................................................... 17 5.1 Books and Microfiche .............................................................................................. 177........ 5.2 Journal Subscriptions ..................................................................................................... 17 6.0 Commodity Procurement ............................................................................................... 19 6.1 Vehicles ........................................................................................................................... 19 6.2 Equipment ...................................................................................................................... 19 6.3 Issues Concerning Procurement...................................................................................... 19 L 7.0 PGIA A -History of Institutional Development: 1979- 1986.................................... 21 7.1 Administration of the PGIA/FA ................................................................................... 21 7.2 Academic Staff ............................................................................................................... 21 7.3 Enrollments ..................................................................................................................... 23 7.3.1 PGIA Enrollments ........................................................................................