Manoj Kumar
Country: India
Degree: Master of Global Food and Agricultural Business
Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
Why did you choose your degree?
A fascination for Agriculture and food processing technology and a keen interest in the ever-growing world economy in agriculture motivated me to take up Masters of Global Food and Agricultural Business. To upgrade my skills in Agricultural sciences with the business perspectives and get qualified of an international standard encouraged me more to take up this course. The biggest motivation to pursue my Master’s in the Agribusiness field was upon receiving recognition as the top 5% of the best performers in the field of Agribusiness from my Undergrad institution (University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India).
Why did you choose to study at the University of Adelaide?
My goal was to integrate agriculture & food businesses and look for solutions from an interdisciplinary perspective. To achieve my goal, I decided to pursue my master’s program from overseas and Australia had been in my head for a while. The University of Adelaide is the only university in Australia that offers a master’s program in both Global Food and Agricultural Business while the other Australian universities offer only a master’s in Agribusiness and also I think the lower cost of living, employment opportunities, cultural diversity and mix of agriculture & wine made Adelaide the ideal place to be. The University of Adelaide is the ideal university in Australia to achieve my goal.
What do/did you enjoy about your degree?
I enjoyed so many things about my degree.
Mainly, the world-class teaching staff in the faculty of professions are approachable and supportive with highly professional skills and knowledge in their specialized fields. The study has been more interactive, fun, and enlightening.
Secondly, I was amazed at our University campus, classrooms and facilities that are available to students. The Support services like the writing centre, Peer mentoring were much helpful during my studies. The workshops conducted by Career hub service like resume building, LinkedIn and interview skills workshop were much beneficial for my career building. In my degree program, I had multiple electives to choose from diverse programs, and it has made my degree even more insightful and enjoyable.
Finally, I cannot forget the most cherishing moments with my friends during my study. I enjoyed the group work with my friends during my classes and it was good to have interaction and fun with friends from Overseas and Australia.
Did you undertake a global learning experience/internship whilst studying at the University? If yes, describe your experience.
Yes, I did my Internship overseas. I completed a research internship at Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on a project entitled Pacific Agribusiness Research in Development Initiative Phase 2 (PARDI 2). My Internship duration was 3 months including a one month visit to the Pacific (Fiji). I really enjoyed my Internship days in Fiji and I'm so happy that the faculty of professions internship team and Centre for Global Food and Resources faculties encouraged and supported me in all the ways possible.
During my Internship, I was able to develop many new skills and it opened new career pathways. The internship experience has helped me better understand agribusiness particularly from a point of view of smallholder farmers and risks they face. This experience complements my studies in Global Food and Agricultural Business at CGFAR, University of Adelaide. The knowledge I have gained from my Master’s degree has helped me to produce efficient outputs during my internship. This Internship has given me more knowledge, work experience, information, confidence and connection within a broader network which are very important for my future career development.
What are your career aspirations after university? (if applicable)
I am excited to begin my career in the Agribusiness field, especially in the International agricultural development sector. My previous work (Internship) experience and my present studies have made me much passionate about the international agricultural development sector (especially R&D). Strong background knowledge in agricultural sciences and present studies in food & agribusiness management motivated me to understand the real-world challenges impacting on Agri and Food Industries across the globe. My goal is to work on International Agribusiness projects in which I am passionate about and make a difference across Asia and the Pacific.
What job role do you have now (if applicable) and what kind of work does that involve?
Currently, I work as Student Information Assistant at the Faculty of Professions, the University of Adelaide on a Casual basis. Where I will be Assisting with the front-line customer and student service with all administrative enquiries. Deliver appropriate service for each student’s unique need and provide appropriate referral to students for faculty and university services and support.
What courses did you enjoy the most? How does your study relate to your career?
The course I have enjoyed the most has been “Agribusiness Research Project Methods”, which is one of the core courses of my degree. Dr Adam Loch runs the course, and he has been an exceptional teacher and mentor. he delivers an engaging and interactive experience tailored around real-world research experiences, and his broader research experience across the globe supports this. His style of teaching is incredibly collaborative, involving the students in the learning process, guest lectures presentations are much insightful to our program. His classes were more enjoyable to learn how to conduct research in the agribusiness field.
The knowledge I have gained from this course has helped me to produce efficient outputs during my internship and other research works that I conducted during my studies. The business research methods course helped me to understand the importance of research in agriculture developments. The course has helped me to identify my key skills and helped me to set my future career goal in research.
Supporting the course/research was my outstanding Supervisor Mr. Craig Johns, he supported my research with his best global food experience from production through to consumption from the perspective of both the private and public sectors. The skills and critical thinking that he taught during my supervision have been invaluable, and I would not have been able to succeed without them. I was fortunate enough to have a supervisor like him.
The knowledge, experience and skills, I have gained from this course motivated me to choose my career in the international agricultural development sector (especially R&D).