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Oklahoma State University students assist South African company’s beef exports

Some of Oklahoma’s best export markets and partners come from it’s agricultural sector. Supplementing those connections are vital agriculture education programs at many of the state’s institutions of higher learning, where future farmers, agriculture producers and scientific experts hone their skills.

According to a recent release from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center assisted an international company meet American compliance standards in the production of a South African beef jerky. The firm was not allowed to produce this South African staple until received USDA approval.

Researchers at OSU assisted Stormberg Foods, a family-owned South African company, with the validity process of producing biltong, a novel version of beef jerky.

The Kerr FAPC is part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, It provides technical and business information that stimulates and supports the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

Read the full release from FAPC’s Tori Lock here.

If you’re interested in learning more about Oklahoma’s export potential in the agriculture sector, or an international agriculture business interested in Oklahoma, please contact us at info@okgit.com and we will connect you with one of our members from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

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OKGIT focus: Oklahoma State University Center for International Trade and Development

AnthonyCambas

Anthony Cambas

By Anthony Cambas, Director Wes Watkins Center for International Trade and Development

The Center for International Trade and Development (CITD) / International Trade Center – Small Business Development Center (ITC-SBDC) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) is located at the Wes Watkins Center on the main campus in Stillwater, Okla. As its name indicates, the CITD focuses on international trade and international development. In the area of international development, the CITD provides technical assistance and training on Customs, exporting and business development to governments, donors, international development agencies and entrepreneurs throughout the world.   The CITD has gained a global reputation for excellence and its staff have traveled to Africa and Latin America to undertake such activities.

In the area of international trade, the ITC-SBDC is a specialty center within the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OKSBDC) network and provides high quality and confidential consulting and advising on import and export matters to small businesses throughout the state. The center works closely with various local, federal and state stakeholders to help Oklahoma-based firms begin exporting and to increase their international sales to more countries if they are already doing so. Expanding the export of goods and services from Oklahoma is important to the economic wellbeing of the state as it fosters job creation and retention and leads to an improvement in the quality of life for Oklahomans.

The CITD also plays an increasingly important role for OSU and its students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For students with an interest in working in international trade and development in the public or private sectors, the CITD provides opportunities for students to gain “real life” experience and mentoring. It also offers various training and networking events as well as a for credit course that prepares students to take and pass the CGBP exam in collaboration with the School of International Studies Graduate Program at OSU. The CGBP credential demonstrates proficiency in international trade to employers and is nationally and internationally recognized.

If you would like to learn more about the OSU Center for International Trade and Development or to contact its staff, please visit http://citd.okstate.edu/ieo.aspx?page=1190.

CITD Director Anthony Cambas is a former U.S. Customs official who hold a B.A. in International Relations and a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University in Miami, Florida and a Masters in International Customs Law and Administration from the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES) in Australia. Anthony was selected as a Fellow of the Small Business Network of the Americas (SBNA), is a Licensed Customs Broker (LCB), Certified Customs Specialist (CCS) and Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) with nearly 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors. In his varied career, Cambas has worked as a U.S government official, exporter and as a Customs and trade expert on a number of international Customs, trade facilitation, business enabling environment, entrepreneurship and export capacity building projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

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University of Central Oklahoma named a top destination for international students

For many undergraduates hailing from the state that is the namesake of the University of Central Oklahoma, their time on campus is often a first chance to interact with fellow students from across the globe. At first glance, Edmond, Okla. does not appear to be a hotbed of international culture, but the presence of international students and faculty at one of the state’s oldest higher learning institutions fosters an inviting atmosphere for learning and cultural exchanges.

According to an article in the Edmond Sun, UCO’s international students hail from 84 countries and make up nine percent of the student body a total of 1,525 international students; 67 percent of those come from Saudi Arabia, China, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam.

From the Edmond Sun:

“UCO is a great place for international students — it stands out as a first class university in a growing metropolitan area. In addition to the amenities Central’s location offers, it is the only university in the state with an International House, which focuses on bringing American students and international students together for understanding and friendship,” said Dennis Dunham, Ph.D., executive director of the Office of Global Affairs at Central.“

The university’s ranks thirteenth in the latest Open Doors Institute of International Education Report, is the only institution in the state to be ranked in the top 40.

According to Open Doors latest data from 2014 on Oklahoma, the state is ranked twenty seventh out of fifty one (including the District of Columbia) in terms of the number of international students, a total of 8,913 persons. Oklahoma State University (2,324 students), the University of Oklahoma (1,985 students), the University of Tulsa (1,291 students) and Oklahoma City University (401 students) are the state’s other top institutions for international students. Chinese nationals make up the largest contingent of those studying in the Sooner State at 23.6 percent.

To read the full article about UCO’s ranking as a top destination for international students in Oklahoma, please click here.

Old North at UCO – Photo courtesy DrinkOmega at Wikipedia Commons.

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