Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development in the Mirror of Past 30 Years
The Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development of University of Zanjan was established in 1992 by admission of students in BS degree in Agricultural Extension and Education. The main goal of this educational department is to train skilled and empowered human resources in the field of sustainable agriculture extension and education in order to transfer and disseminate the knowledge of beneficial agricultural innovations, pay attention to environmental challenges in the production of agricultural products, as well as the increase of the quantity and quality of agricultural production and improve the public welfare.
Currently, nine faculty members are engaged in training and research in the specialized fields of agricultural extension, agricultural education, rural development and agricultural economics in this department. Also, 154 students are studying in three BS, MSc, and PhD degrees in seven educational majors. It should be mentioned that 1351 students have been recruited or are studying in different educational degrees during past 30 years of the department's activity.
Since the initial year (in 1992), the recruitment of students in the BS degree in the major of Agricultural Extension and Education has been started, and so far a total of 1023 people have been registered in this degree. At this moment, 73 students are studying in the BS degree in Agricultural Extension and Education.
The department has been recruiting students in MSc degree since 2009 in the major of Rural Development and since 2010 in the major of Agricultural Extension and Education in different specialized courses. Accordingly, a total of 257 students (141 in Rural Development and 116 in Agricultural Extension and Education) have been accepted so far this year. Currently, 32 students are studying in the MSc degree in Rural Development (12 people) and various educational majors in Sustainable Agricultural Extension and Education (20 people).
The PhD course was also launched in 2014 which consisted three majors as described in the table below. To date, 71 students have been accepted in these majors (29 in Agricultural Development and 42 in Agricultural Extension and Education). Currently, 49 students are studying at the PhD degree of Agricultural Development, Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Extension, and Environment and Sustainable Agricultural Education.
|
Course
|
Level
|
Number of academic members
|
Number of students
|
|
Professor
|
Associate
Professor
|
Assistant
Professor
|
|
Agricultural extension & education
|
BSc
|
-
|
3
|
7
|
84
|
|
Agricultural extension & education
|
MSc
|
20
|
|
Rural development
|
MSc
|
23
|
|
