The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has a long-standing collaboration aimed at expanding access to education and training to strengthen capacities of stakeholders, with training activities on a wide range of topics being implemented since 2010.

The partnership builds upon the strengths of both institutions by transforming the knowledge expertise provided by FAO into high-quality learning products and services designed to transfer knowledge, impart skills, and raise awareness and takes full advantage of modern information and communication technology (ICT) for greater outreach and cost-effectiveness.

A follow-up survey was undertaken one year after the course implementation to capture the impact of the course on the participants’ professional lives. Twenty responses were recorded which represents a twenty-eight per cent response rate. Ninety per cent of the respondents indicated that they are working in trade issues at the national or sectoral level with sixty-five per cent of these respondents further indicating that they are mostly involved in developing or implementing evidence-based agricultural, food security or trade policies. Accordingly, sixty-nine per cent of the respondents noted that the application of the knowledge and skills from the course is very important to their job success.

Moreover, one hundred per cent of the respondents have reportedly applied or transferred knowledge from the course to their work with sixty-one per cent reporting that they often apply the knowledge and skills as illustrated in chart 1. In particular, the knowledge from the course related to learning objectives one and three (see below) was applied or transferred by close to eighty-five per cent of the respondents. The chart below indicates the application or transfer of knowledge per learning objective.

Ruben Sarukhanyan
Director of the Economic Research and Development Support Center, Armenia
Trade and agriculture knowledge for research input

Yerevan, Armenia. With his career spanning over 20 years, Ruben currently works as the director of a non-governmental organization in Armenia, through which he executes projects that aim to improve the economy of the country and promote export. In his previous roles, Ruben acted as the head of the WTO Notification Agency in the Ministry of Economy of Armenia, and later headed the Agency for European Cooperation Programmes (Programme Administration Agency) before moving to work as a consultant in the private sector where he participated in decision-making on various trade and sector development issues by raising views and expectations of the private sector representatives.

With his current organization involved in research, it undertakes many research programmes which imply comparative analysis of the countries, particularly Armenia, in economy and export issues. The organization largely works with farmers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in organizing events for increasing their opportunities and potential in the market. It further studies the legislation and government programmes connected with Green and Sustainable Agriculture and also provides recommendations and elaborates methodological strategies in order to achieve effective solutions to the issue of export.

Ruben applied for the course with the aim of assessing how theoretical information could be translated into practice given that international agreements are not interpreted and translated to the public. He also wished to gain more knowledge on what projects can be created on the basis of these agreements, that lead to export growth and help the state solve some of the problems associated with export growth.

For Ruben, the knowledge gained from the course has been fundamental towards the implementation of projects and studies in his work. Ruben adds that he used the knowledge gained from the course on WTO agreements, and in particular, the SPS agreement (The Agreement of the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures), in further understanding non-tariff measures currently present in Armenia and how they can be minimized to increase exports. The FAO-UNITAR course provided Ruben with the necessary knowledge on SPS agreement and he used the information to develop a proposal for a project that seeks to study SPS challenges of Armenia in the agricultural sector.

Ruben estimates that approximately 60 to 70 per cent of the increase in his job confidence is due to the knowledge gained from the course. He adds that the course has facilitated his interest in how to apply the knowledge on foreign trade and WTO agreements in agriculture and assist in the implementation of state programmes. Ruben recognizes that the knowledge from the course is beneficial in the development and implementation of agricultural policies and strategies that he is undertaking in cooperation with different partners and state institutions, “The knowledge I received during the seminar is very helpful here. It helps me to analyze policies and strategies correctly, define and set the goals of the strategic directions correctly, and use this experience in developing action plans and project ideas”.

A difference in the quality of work has also been witnessed for Ruben following his participation in the course where he further shares the knowledge gained with his employees, clients and beneficiaries. Ruben suggests further interaction with other colleagues for future courses as he seeks to create and share different ideas with other participants across the region.

Andrey Korolkov
Head of Department of World Economy at Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russia
Imparting agricultural trade knowledge to university students

Moscow, Russia. Andrey’s role as head of department of World Economy at the Russian State Agrarian University has seen him facilitate various disciplines for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programmes that are linked to the materials he studied during the FAO-UNITAR course. These disciplines include World Economy, World Agrarian Economy, State Support of Agrarian Production in the Conditions of the WTO and the EAEU, State Regulation of World Agriculture, International Agricultural Trade Policy, International Marketing and International Management. For Andrey, the course was essential in broadening his horizons and outlook on various aspects by facilitating his approach from different perspectives.

Andrey applied for the course with the desire of deepening his knowledge and assess how it can be used in his duties. Despite having prior knowledge on the topics given his line of duty in lecturing related topics at the university, Andrey found that he still gained new knowledge, particularly in the final module of the course which focused on the current state of negotiations and the positions of parties. Andrey recognized that he can easily link the knowledge from the course with what he currently lectures to his students such as on the WTO agreements and participation of international organizations, agrarian trade policy and the influence of politics on managerial decision-making among others.

As a lecturer, Andrey points out that the course is certainly useful in enhancing knowledge which is beneficial to the end-users, the students. In this regard, he notes that the course benefits both his employer by having a more competent teacher, and the students, who acquire effective and interesting information.

Andrey has embarked on spreading the knowledge acquired to his students acknowledging that the use of the knowledge varies depending on the students’ study levels, be it undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate. In the context of heavy workload and the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrey noted that he was still satisfied with his participation and learning in the course since he could follow the programme at his own pace.

A follow-up of the course, according to Andrey, would be highly appreciated, particularly one that expands on additional agreements besides the WTO as he hopes to continue obtaining further knowledge on emergence of new agreements globally.