ACES Provides International Perspectives To Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program

By Leslie Myrick

Nineteen leaders from a broad spectrum of food and agricultural interests in Illinois visited the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) in February as part of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program’s Class of 2023 seminar series.

“ACES International has been pleased to host an international perspectives seminar for this group biennially since 2012. Our faculty and staff provide a wealth of information relevant to the group as they build skills and knowledge towards representing Illinois globally,” says Mary Arends-Kuenning, acting associate dean of the ACES Office of International Programs.

The Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program (IALP) accepts a new class every two years for a 19-month program; many of the participants are ACES alumni, and all are actively engaged in some facet of agriculture in Illinois. 

The ACES Office of International Programs assembled a line-up of speakers to broaden the group’s knowledge about the culture, economy, political issues, and agriculture relevant to the specific regions the class will visit later this year as part of the program’s international immersion experience.

“It is a privilege for our class members to be able to learn from ACES professors and other representatives from the University of Illinois. We learned about global trade markets, the impacts of Brexit, and the impacts of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Hearing from these professors before we embark on our two-week international study seminar to Western Europe was extremely beneficial. We are grateful that the College of ACES allows us to host our seminars on campus at the Funk Library. The staff has always been very accommodating and helpful to us,” says Mellisa McMillan, program director for ILAP.