Yeutter Institute brings new opportunities to Nebraska students, community
May is World Trade Month, just as many newly minted Nebraska graduates are forging the first steps in their career paths. This time of year may also have other undergraduates thinking more imminently of ways they can prepare themselves to be competitive in a job market where trade knowledge is more relevant than ever. The Yeutter Institute is continuing in its mission to prepare students for leadership roles in international trade and finance, support interdisciplinary research across the university and increase public understanding of these issues in the Nebraska community and beyond.
“Trade Policy and Negotiations: Context and Current Issues” (AGRI 496) proved to be a successful pop-up course this spring, featuring guest lecturer Andrea Durkin, a veteran U.S. trade representative and editor-in-chief of TradeVistas. The class filled up quickly, attracting students from over a dozen majors from three colleges. Subscribe to updates from the Yeutter Institute or follow its new Twitter account (@UNL_Yeutter) to be sure to hear about the next course dates.
A pilot internship program this summer provides another exciting opportunity for a Nebraska student to gain relevant skills in the field. The intern will use applied economics skills to create a customized research product on potential new or expanded export markets for a Nebraska agribusiness company. Students interested in staying up to date on the expansion of this pilot internship in the summer of 2020 should contact Yeutter Institute Director, Jill O’Donnell.
For those students or professionals seeking to continue expanding their knowledge of the trade world, the Institute has begun to curate relevant online events, hearings and notices in the International Trade & Finance Calendar, which can be found on the Yeutter website below the news section.
Yeutter Institute Honors Interns, Bret Klabunde, Emily Loftis, and Olivia Coffey recently presented their research projects during an Honors Workshop entitled, “Why Study International Trade and Finance?” The reports covered China's response to soybean tariffs, U.S. legislation on the authority to impose tariffs, and the potential to increase Nebraska exports to Indonesia. The content of these projects will soon become the seeds of the new “Trade Policy Conversation Starters” section on the Yeutter Institute website.
The opportunities aren’t just limited to students. Faculty are encouraged to apply for a $10,000 funding award to stimulate new international activity in international trade. Funds are intended to provide individuals the opportunity to meet face-to-face with international collaborators and to visit international sites for the purpose of establishing partnerships or developing new research and education projects. All UNL full-time faculty, extension educators, and lecturers/professors of practice are eligible; deadline is June 30, 2019.
In other recent news, the institute announced the thirteen inaugural members of its advisory council, who will provide strategic counsel to the director on the institute’s formation and programming. The council members’ collective expertise spans the areas of trade policy and law, commodities markets, global business operations, trade and development, and advanced trade and finance education.
Last, mark your calendars for the next Yeutter Institute conference, slated for Thursday, October 10, 2019 and plan to join to hear about trending trade topics and meet the Yeutter Institute Advisory Council. To stay in touch with the Yeutter Institute, subscribe to the newsletter here.