Ukrainian Food Valley held a conference of lecturers of its mini MBA program starting next month. It is the next step after online training course GESI Winter School. The school is co-financed by the USAID Agricultural and Rural Development Program — AGRO (AGRO Program), implemented in Ukraine by Chemonics International. Inc.

Lecturers exchanged experiences gained while teaching at the Winter School with attention to online work with a large number of participants.

Program participants

The mini MBA program was developed by Ukrainian Food Valley as part of the AGRO Program for women-farmers and other under-represented groups of population such as students and youth, elderly people, people with special needs (people with disabilities), internallydisplaced persons in rural areas, Anti-Terrorism Operation (ATO) veterans and national minorities in rural areas.

This year, UFV provides scholarships to representatives of seven leading Ukrainian agricultural universities. In summer Ukrainian Food Valley signed with them Memoranda of Cooperation with aim to promote MBA programs in regions.

Also we invite farmers to study on a paid basis. The participants must meet eligibility criteria of the program and pass an interview.

Selection criteria of the participants:

– owners/top-managers of agrarian micro, small or medium enterprises (SMEs)

– specialization:

– fruit and vegetable,

– meat and dairy,

– poultry farming,

– aquaculture,

– confectionery and craft production.

Experts in agriculture, food and related fields are also invited.

We welcome students from all over Ukraine including the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts and Crimea,  preference is given to participants from Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, Cherkasy oblasts.

Program structure

Mini MBA 2021/22 will consist of 12 modules:

– 10 training modules

– 1 field module to agricultural enterprise

– 1 module for a project presentation.

Between modules, participants will do individual tasks, work in small groups under the guidance of mentors, and at the end will present two graduation projects: individual and group.

The program will begin in September 2021 and will last 9 months. Training modules will be conducted online twice a month. Oral material will be translated into sign language.

Program goals

The program will help create in Ukraine a critical mass of agricultural entrepreneurs who will be able to manage the risks associated with advanced production technologies.

Mini MBA training will help farmers diversify their business by opening non-farm enterprises, which is an important mechanism for reducing crisis vulnerability and obtaining more stable incomes.

Program participants will

– Gain systematic knowledge of modern agricultural production.

– Develop managerial and leadership skills.

– Implement the concept of long life learning.

– Network in SHE FARMS and UFV communities, exchange experiences, ideas, projects, products, establish links within their value chains.

For further information, please contact Natalia Maevska, Executive Director of Ukrainian Food Valley, +38 050 846 888 2, ufv.org@gmail.com.