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New Hutton-SRUC partnership to help students gain real-world experience

Donald Barrie (r), Glensaugh farm manager, speaks to SRUC students
"The fact that the farm is now also being used for educational purposes, to help train the next generation of farmers, is fantastic and evidence of the real benefits of collaboration across the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Institutes (SEFARI)"

A new partnership between the James Hutton Institute and SRUC will put practical skills into the hands of future farmers. Students studying agriculture at national certificate and degree level at SRUC’s Aberdeen campus will now complete practical classes at the Institute's Glensaugh Research Farm in Aberdeenshire.

The partnership will provide students with a more real-world experience in a commercial setting. They will be working with sheep, beef cattle and deer in a semi-upland setting. It's hoped that by gaining experience in machinery and stock handling, students will be able to apply their knowledge in a real-world context.

The collaboration is the latest partnership between the two major research institutes, which already work together on research, events and providing PhD opportunities.

Professor Deb Roberts, Director of Science at the James Hutton Institute, said: “Glensaugh Research Farm has long been used to test new products and demonstrate innovative land management practices.

"The fact that the farm is now also being used for educational purposes, to help train the next generation of farmers, is fantastic and evidence of the real benefits of collaboration across the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Institutes (SEFARI).”

SRUC’s North Faculty currently teaches around 100 agricultural students across its national certificate and degree level courses. SRUC also offers Masters level courses and promotes routes for students to progress through different levels of qualifications.

Philip Wrigglesworth, SRUC’s North Faculty Agriculture Team Leader, added: “This new partnership between SRUC and the James Hutton Institute will enhance our teaching of practical farming skills. This will help students into employment and throughout their careers.

“We are grateful to the James Hutton Institute for the opportunity to work together. We share a common goal of putting research and theory into practice to benefit future food production and animal welfare.”

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Printed from /news/new-hutton-sruc-partnership-help-students-gain-real-world-experience on 29/03/24 08:55:22 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.