AICAT – Arava International Center for Agriculture Training is pleased to invite students to participate in a professional and successful agricultural program based on “Learning by Doing “.
The program is intended for undergraduate students in agricultural institutes mostly in Asia and Africa. 
For 2023 - 2024,  we expect to add students from four further countries!
The program will be held over 11 months - through the whole agricultural season of the Arava.
Students will reside on farms in the Arava region where they will be able to witness hands-on the cutting-edge technologies used in agriculture by the Arava farmers.

AICAT impact on graduate's lives is in various aspects:

Social Impact

The students become community leaders and agricultural mentors and change their way of thinking from a traditional way to an innovative one, "out of the box" thinking.
 

Academic Impact

The students return to their home countries with theoretical and practical tools and skills crucial for improving their country's food security and many pursue higher academic education in Israel and abroad.
 

Economic Impact

Our graduates establish successful model farms and businesses, bringing both growth and employment to their communities. Our alumni can also be found fully integrated info into the public and private sector, utilizing the management and leadership skills, that they learned during their time at AICAT

Economic Model

During the internship program, students receive a salary for their practical training on the farm. This enables the student to cover expenses such as academic tuition, living expenses, food, and a return flight home.

During their 11 months in Israel, students save money, which they can use to initiate, implement or continue an agricultural project in their country.

DETAILS AND CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTANCE TO THE PROGRAM

The Israeli embassies in the students’ countries of origin assist in identifying factors that will enable collaboration with suitable universities.

AICAT works in close cooperation with the relevant foreign embassies, who offer their support to AICAT as well as solving particular problems related to the welfare of the students.

• Contact with students is made and the initial selection process is done by the students’ academic institution in accordance to the terms of the agreement it has signed with AICAT.
• Every student is required to be interviewed by an AICAT representative.

 Required Criteria

• Presently in their second year of higher education studies or more - with an academic background in agriculture, biology, etc. – with an attached document from the educational institution confirming this
• Age between 20 to 28 upon arrival in Israel.
• Be in good health, have good mental strength, and submit medical signed medical reports before coming to Israel. 
• Valid passport, valid for at least two years
• No criminal record
• Not have been part of any similar program in Israel before.
• The curriculum is built in consultation with the academic institutions in the students’ countries of origin. It is re-evaluated annually and improvements are made to the curriculum accordingly, taking into account the continued advancement in agriculture and the changing needs and demands of the countries of origin.
  Some academic institutions give credit towards a university degree for some of the courses covered in the program. We are aiming to reach a similar agreement with all the countries we work with.
  The curriculum is divided into two main areas of study: agriculture and economics.
  
  Agriculture
  • The main part of the study of agriculture includes practical training on the farm mentored by a farmer. Students are exposed to advanced technology and are expected to carry out their own agricultural research project.  
  • Students study basic theoretical and practical introductory courses in the different fields of agriculture: vegetable growing as a basis for plant sciences, irrigation and fertilization, aquaculture, orchards, flower growing, mechanization and plant protection.
  • Students take a methodology course which introduces the foundations of scientific research on which they will base the research project they are expected to carry out.
   
  Economics

  (Frontal lecture and the professional tours constitute an average of 13 ½ academic hours a week.)

   
  Practical Training on a Farm
  Every students undergoes a practical training on a farm which operates according to advanced world standards in agriculture. Students live on a farm under suitable conditions. The farmer is the main supervisor for the mentoring program, guiding the student through the practical study of modern agriculture, from the choice of technology to determining which varieties to plant.
  According to the law, students are paid a fair wage for their practical training on the farm. Practical study is important because it enables students to understand and apply the theoretical knowledge they have gained.
  Each group of students has a group leader (an outstanding former graduate of AICAT) who is part of the AICAT staff for the duration of the course.  
   
  Research Project
  The research project is one of the pillars of the curriculum, linking the practical training carried out by the farmer with the theory. Throughout the duration of this project, students acquire the ability to think scientifically and ask questions, plan an experiment which will answer those questions and the ability to reach conclusions and lead change.
  The student is immersed in the research project throughout his year of study and is involved in planning and carrying it out, collecting the necessary data, analysing it and drawing the relevant conclusions. The student is expected to submit the findings of his/her work in writing and present them in a power point presentation. The mark attained for this project will appear on the student’s final diploma.
  The project is supervised by a member of the AICAT staff who is academically qualified and has an undergraduate degree (or higher) in the discipline of study. Students present the results of their projects in front of the group, the supervisor, the farmer and a representative from AICAT.
   
  Diploma Program Courses
  Plant Biology and Physiology
  Soil, Irrigation and Fertilization
  Agricultural structures and high-technology methods
  Plant Protection and Pest Control
  Aqua-Culture Farming methods
  Flower Production
  Viticulture + Orchard
  Animal Husbandry
  Economic Management
  Management informati