CENTRE CORE COURSES

The M.AgSE programme will have 10 units of 4 core courses compulsory and 1 elective English Language short course for all options:

ACE 701: Climate change and Agriculture (2 Units, 1st Semester)
ACE 702: Information Systems and Agricultural Knowledge Management (3 units, 2nd Semester)
ACE 704: International trade and Policy, Agri-business, and innovation Management (3 units, 2nd semester)
ACE 705: Production Economics and Gender Issues (2 Units, 1st Semester)

Electives
GES 701: Short English and French Language Courses (1 Unit, 1st Semester)
Total Centre Course Units = 10

Centre’s Specialized Workshops (besides English language course)
1.  Workshop on Grant-Winning Proposal Writing
2.  Workshop on Scientific writing and Presentation
3.  Workshop on Mentoring and Donor Intelligence

SYNOPSIS OF CENTRE CORE COURSES

ACE 701  Climate change and Agriculture (2 Units)
Precision agriculture e.g VRT dispensers, diffusers, drip irrigation, green seeker. Spatially enabled climate farming, erosion control, Remote sensing, Soil information system, yield and health monitoring, Early warning system for agricultural production. C – N sequestration as climate change mitigation strategy, Agro-forestry, Crop and livestock adaptation strategies to climate change, Value addition and climate climate variability.

ACE 702  Information Systems and Agricultural Knowledge Management (3 units)
Information Systems – Analysis, Design, implementation, and management of a computer-based information system that support a wide spectrum of key policy and investment priorities for effective Agriculture.
Agricultural Knowledge Management – Basic concept of Agricultural Knowledge & Knowledge Management system(KMS) life cycle, exploration of tacit knowledge creation and capture, codification of knowledge and implementing systems to make use of knowledge base, technical aspects of Knowledge Management in Agriculture – Business Intelligence and Data Analytics techniques – data mining, Knowledge-based/ Expert systems, Machine learning, fuzzy-logic, data visualization, content management systems and Web 2.0 technologies.
Laboratory Practical: Hands–on productivity software Applications- Word processing, Database, Spreadsheet, presentation & Graphics software, GIS mapping Software, OLAP (on-line Analytical Processing), use of statistical packages e.g SAS /SPSS, Matlab software tool boxes e.g Bioinformatics, fuzzy-logic etc.

ACE 704: International Trade and Policy Agri-business, Patenting and Intellectual Property Right  (3 Units)
This course offers a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding historical and analytical treatment of Trade; Instrument of Trade Policy; International Trade and Economic Expansion; Theories and Conceptual Framework in Agricultural Policy Analysis; Theoretical Models of Agricultural Development; Challenges of Agricultural Development in Africa; ICT in Agricultural Development Policy; Export and Import Policies; Agricultural Trade Policy; Marketing/Commodity Boards; Balance of Payment Adjustments; Tariffs and Infant Industry Argument; Trade between Agriculture and Industry; International trade Agreements; Cartels and Economic Regionalism; International Organization; Technology Transfer and Impacts on Commodity Development in Developing and Developed Countries. The course analytically examines current empirical research in the area of agricultural trade; analyze how the agricultural sector changes over time, interacting with government policies in both the farm and nonfarm sectors. It draws on the theories and insights of economics to examine the agricultural policy process and its outcomes. Our goal is to explain and predict major trends and differences across countries, using economic theory to explain and predict what governments will do and how agents operating in the food and farm sectors are likely to respond. It helps students to develop a better understanding of policy-making entities at various levels of government. It also provides a broad understanding of how policy actions in agriculture impact not only farmers’ incomes, but also the well being of consumers, the economic viability of rural communities, and the quality of our nation’s environmental resources. It deals with the Theories and Policies of Agricultural Development; the Role of Agriculture in the Economy; Problems of Agricultural Development and Planning.

ACE 705: Production Economics and Gender Issues(2 units)
Concepts of production, production relations of factor-product, factor-factor, product-product, production functions of different functional forms, cost functions, optimization, demand for and supply of factors of production, the changing economic roles of men and women in the labour market and in the family, norms and values, gender issues in the work place, historical overview of changing gender roles, gender differences in occupations and earnings, poverty issues and consequences of gender unemployment, gender inequality, discrimination and mainstreaming,consideration of women status in some countries.

GES 701: Short English and French Language Courses (1 unit, Elective)