Teaching and Educational Methods

Expanding Beyond Case Studies in Postgraduate Agribusiness Teaching to Enhance Experiential Benefits and Student/Teacher Outcomes

Alexandra Peralta(a), Craig Johns(a), and Adam Loch(a)
(a)University of Adelaide

JEL Codes: JEL Codes: A20, A23, Q13
Keywords: Agribusiness experiences, case studies, education, industry engagement, internships, study tours

Publish Date: August 12, 2024

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Abstract

Experiential teaching of postgraduate agribusiness requires both engagement with course material in the classroom and practical experiences from leading agribusiness companies. Many courses rely on case studies to generate such examples. However, we argue that a wider range of industry experiences may better enable students to learn how agribusinesses innovate, overcome industry/policy challenges, and capitalize on opportunities. We illustrate two examples of wider industry experiences from the Master of Global Food and Agricultural Business at the University of Adelaide, including (i) study tours to local agribusiness companies and (ii) agribusiness internship opportunities. The study tours allow senior company managers to present their business strategy, challenges, and opportunities to students before interactive discussions, while access to competitive industry internships with 52 partner companies (between 2014 and 2022) allows direct interaction on multiple levels and research of a relevant industry topic. We assess how expanded examples of experiential learning beyond case studies adds value to agribusiness teaching with insights for other teachers and program managers.

About the Author: Alexandra Peralta is a Senior Lecturer in Agricultural and Food Economics at the Centre for Global Food and Resources, School of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Adelaide (Email: alexandra.peralta@adelaide.edu.au ) Craig Johns is an Associate Professor and Associate Director Agribusiness Innovation, Postgraduate Coursework Program Director with the Centre for Global Food and Resources, School of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Adelaide. Adam Loch is an Associate Professor with the Centre for Global Food and Resources, School of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Adelaide.

Acknowledgments: We would like to thank our South Australian Food Industry partners without whom we could not deliver the experiential learning experiences of our master’s programs. Thank you for opening your business doors to our academics and students, for your willingness to discuss and answer questions and encourage reflections, and for your consistent interest in providing students with internship opportunities.

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