Message from the Director
The Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED) has traditionally been thought of as "the international office for agriculture" at Virginia Tech. Although this may have been true initially, over the past 12 years we have grown far beyond that purview. OIRED is now a university-wide office managing a portfolio of over $21 million, comprising a wide range of projects around the globe. Our three current thrusts are: Information Technology; Gender Equity and Women in Development; and Biotechnology. OIRED is primarily funded by grants from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington and USAID missions abroad.
An example of OIRED's efforts in the area of Information Technology is its partnership with PaL-Tech, a private sector firm, to set up a high-tech university in Egypt. Nile University will offer undergrad, master's and Ph.D. programs in: IT, Communications, Biotech, Emerging Technology, and Alternative Energy Solutions. Virginia Tech's International Institute of IT (VT IIIT) is fully involved in this initiative.
Studies show that development projects do not succeed without an awarenenss of the importance of gender. OIRED has long known the importance of this, as it supports an entire faculty position devoted solely to Women in International Development. Every proposal that OIRED writes integrates gender into every aspect of its operation. Recently, OIRED partnered with Datex, a minority-owned private sector firm, on a worldwide Indefinite Quality Contract (IQC) proposal to which the Women's Center at Virginia Tech has contributed substantially.
In biotechnology, OIRED has recently worked with Cornell University on two Requests for Assistance dealing with biotechnology and biosafety. And, OIRED continues its work on such projects as improving the production of eggplant in India—a joint agreement it pursues with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
OIRED's partnerships with NGOs, private sector firms, and other universities allow for Virginia Tech to contribute to the wider world of research and development. Internally, they provide international opportunities for Virginia Tech faculty. When faculty are able to work on projects and conduct research overseas, they can then bring this international perspective back to the classroom. Students learn from a broader perspective and realize that any given discipline is connected to other disciplines and that, whatever country we live in, we are all connected. To paraphrase John Donne, no man, or woman, is an island, entire of itself.
Dr. S.K. De Datta
Associate Vice President for International Affairs, Director of OIRED