Applications for the inaugural Texas A&M University International Beef Academy are being accepted.

The academy, available exclusively online, will begin in September and continue through July 2019.

“The International Beef Academy will offer an exclusive, customized and advanced learning experience tailored to the educational and professional needs of each participant,” said Dr. Reinaldo Cooke, associate professor in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University in College Station. “Participants will have access to emerging technologies in cattle reproduction, nutrition, genetics, health and welfare related to all phases of beef production, including cutting-edge practices for the quality and safety of beef products.”

The academy will be limited to 30 students and applications will be screened for selection. All of the instruction will be online and there will be nine modules to complete, Cooke said.

“Upon conclusion, students will come to campus here in College Station for hands-on learning opportunities and participate in the annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course before graduating,” Cooke said. “After graduation, they will be ambassadors of the academy where they will promote the information they’ve learned and also have the opportunity to come back in a few years and learn even more.”

The academy is open to beef industry professionals, producers, professors, researchers or anyone with a good basic background in global beef production, he said.

“We want to introduce the latest in cutting-edge technologies,” Cooke said. “With this academy, we want to offer the best of the best. We will be collaborating with several other national and international institutions with guest lecturers.”

For more information, visit animalscience.tamu.edu  or email IBCA@tamu.edu.

Source: Texas A&M AgriLife Today