Ani Katchova, an associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics recently completed a Fulbright Specialist program in Austria.  Her assignment was to teach a graduate-level course in applied econometrics at BOKU, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna for six weeks this summer.

The Fulbright Specialist Program is designed to award grants to qualified U.S. faculty and professionals, in select disciplines, to engage in short-term, collaborative two-to-six-week projects at host institutions in more than 100 countries worldwide.

The applied econometrics course that Katchova taught in Austria is similar to the course she teaches at UK.  The class includes overview of econometric models and data applications using software programs. The applied nature of the course makes it valuable to students in social sciences to jump start their research projects. 

Education is rapidly becoming internationalized with students in many countries seeking knowledge from the most prominent professors, either as online videos or as short, intense courses.  This course is simultaneously delivered to both live and remote audiences, using a combination of video conferencing, file sharing, and statistical software, a good example of how technology is quickly removing geographical barriers in education.

"It was a wonderful experience to be able to share my knowledge and teach applied econometrics at BOKU, " Katchova said.  "Students at BOKU had solid academic preparation and excellent English which made it easy to teach an intense graduate-level course.  I was also able to establish good networks and collaborations with colleagues there.” 

Katchova has developed and led the Software Workshops series, which were taken by over 200 graduate students from 20 departments across UK last year.  The applied econometrics course that she teaches at University of Kentucky has attracted graduate students and visitors from over 10 departments. 

To recognize her participation in the Fulbright Specialist Program in Austria, Katchova received the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel.  This is the highest honor in Kentucky given by the Governor and Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to individuals for their services to the state, nation, and the world.