Testimonial
The story of Julie Nasrin
Julie Nasrin (28) grew up in several villages on the countryside of Bangladesh. There she saw how local farmers often struggle protecting their crops and keeping their produce fresh until they could sell it at the market. They have to face natural disasters such as floods and cyclones, plant diseases and insect plagues, and often do not have the knowledge necessary to deal with these problems. Julie wants to change that: “I want to fill the information gap and become the bridge between Bangladeshi farmers and the latest scientific knowledge in the field of agriculture.”
As a well-educated agricultural specialist, I want to become the bridge between illiterate Bangladeshi farmers and science. That’s my mission.
As a child Julie already liked working with plants. She kept a garden in her home, where she grew her own vegetables and fruit. From her fascination for agriculture she decides on a bachelor’s in Agriculture at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. “During my bachelor’s I gained view of the scope of the problems related to agriculture in my country. There is an information shortage and farmers suffer natural violence all the time. Many farmers grow seasonal fruits like mango’s, lychees and jackfruit, for example, but just a few months ago their crops were ruined as the result of a devastating cyclone. Next to that, they use a lot of fertilizer and pesticides, which are damaging to the environment and makes production more expensive. But they do not know any better solutions to these problems. Bangladesh needs agricultural specialists who are in direct contact with these farmers.”
To fill the knowledge gap in Bangladesh, Julie looked for opportunities to continue her studies abroad. Worldwide one of the leading universities in the field of agriculture, she quickly decides on Wageningen University & Research. With support of an Anne van den Ban scholarship, she now almost finished the first year of her master’s Plant Sciences, with a specialization in Plant Pathology and Entomology.
“In Wageningen I chose courses that relate to the agricultural issues in my home country. I have taken several courses in post-harvest physiology, for example. In these courses, we address the question of how to keep products in the best shape possible after they are harvested, to make sure farmers get a good price for them on the market and to reduce waste. Now a lot of products are still lost during transport from the countryside to the city, where they are sold. That’s really an issue of knowledge lack.”
Julie knows very well what she wants after she obtained her degree: go back to Bangladesh to work as an agricultural extension officer for the government and consult with farmers directly ‘in the field’. “I did not grow up in the city, but in villages. I have always been in touch with farmers and understand their perspective. Many farmers in Bangladesh are illiterate and they will, of course, not read the scientific papers about the latest agricultural techniques. It is important that well-educated agricultural specialists hear and talk to them, map real scenario’s and hand them practical knowledge that they can apply immediately.”
“As an agricultural specialist I want to be the bridge between farmers and science. That is my mission. Thanks to the Anne van den Ban Fund I can now specialize myself further and contribute to the development of agriculture in Bangladesh in the future.”
To fill the knowledge gap in Bangladesh, Julie looked for opportunities to continue her studies abroad. Worldwide one of the leading universities in the field of agriculture, she quickly decides on Wageningen University & Research. With support of an Anne van den Ban scholarship, she now almost finished the first year of her master’s Plant Sciences, with a specialization in Plant Pathology and Entomology.
“In Wageningen I chose courses that relate to the agricultural issues in my home country. I have taken several courses in post-harvest physiology, for example. In these courses, we address the question of how to keep products in the best shape possible after they are harvested, to make sure farmers get a good price for them on the market and to reduce waste. Now a lot of products are still lost during transport from the countryside to the city, where they are sold. That’s really an issue of knowledge lack.”
Julie knows very well what she wants after she obtained her degree: go back to Bangladesh to work as an agricultural extension officer for the government and consult with farmers directly ‘in the field’. “I did not grow up in the city, but in villages. I have always been in touch with farmers and understand their perspective. Many farmers in Bangladesh are illiterate and they will, of course, not read the scientific papers about the latest agricultural techniques. It is important that well-educated agricultural specialists hear and talk to them, map real scenario’s and hand them practical knowledge that they can apply immediately.”
“As an agricultural specialist I want to be the bridge between farmers and science. That is my mission. Thanks to the Anne van den Ban Fund I can now specialize myself further and contribute to the development of agriculture in Bangladesh in the future.”