This semester, two librarians from Cornell University traveled to Africa to help researchers advance food security and legal scholarship.
Sarah Wright, a life sciences librarian, taught graduate students at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement at the University of Ghana. The trip was sponsored by a partnership between the University of Ghana and Cornell’s International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“Our goal is to help educate the next generation of plant breeders in Africa who are developing new crop varieties and fighting diseases and pests,” Wright said. “They need the most up-to-date info to prevent redundancies in efforts and so that they can build on the latest research.”
Ariel Scotese, a law librarian and assistant director of the Legal Research Clinic helped train nonprofit advocates in Johannesburg, South Africa. The workshop was hosted by the University of Johannesburg and funded by Engaged Cornell grants. The goal was for the workshop participants to use this training to teach other legal professionals in Africa.
“The participants are information professionals who will train researchers in eligible government organizations, law schools, research institutions and nonprofits,” Scotese said.
