Agriculture is a key sector in Moldova. For Associate Professor Oleg Stiopca, helping Moldova develop its agriculture industry is of prime importance. "Agriculture is now more important than ever for ordinary people in rural areas because it constitutes a poverty buffer during the transition period in Moldova."

Stiopca is currently conducting research on Building Education and Training Agendas for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development in Moldova. He is also involved in several agricultural development activities including managing the Apiculture for Orphanages project in collaboration from the International Partnership for Human Development (IPHD) and teaching the Methodolgies for Efficient Communication in Rural Moldova to the Peace Corps. All of Stiopca's efforts are focused on helping Moldova develop its agriculture. Famine occurred in Moldova in 1947 and in Ukraine in 1954. Stiopca's research may help abate another occurrence by developing Moldova's young agricultural industry.

When Stiopca was not researching his project, he gave presentations at Ohio State University, Columbus State University and Pennsylvania State University as well as at local nursing and low-income homes in University Park. "It is very interesting to walk through State College and meet the same people (who were at the presentations), and they will recognize you, and kids will recognize you. It's very nice," said Stiopca.

In hope of educating others about Moldova's rural community and as a supporter of international exchange, Stiopca volunteered to take 10 undergraduate students to his home country when he learned his Fulbright host institution, Pennsylvania State University, could no longer continue their Ukraine agriculture project.

The trip was in March 2005 during spring break. Stiopca and the U.S. students visited Ukraine for three days and Moldova for seven days. Stiopca said that although the train ride from Kiev to Chisinau was long, the opportunity was worth showing students the agricultural food systems of both countries. In Moldova, Stiopca took the students to visit orphanages involved with the Apiculture for Orphanages project, farms, classes at the State Agricultural University and project sites developed by the Peace Corps. The students also participated in workshops and presented projects to faculty and students at the State Agricultural University.

Stiopca is well accustomed to university exchanges. In 2000, he visited Kansas State University as part of the Contemporary Issues Fellowship Program. During that visit, Stiopca worked on his project, Agricultural Information and Technology Transfer. With his experience in student exchange programs, Stiopca is now working with Kansas State to initiate a student exchange program.

In April 2005, Stiopca returned to Kansas for the "Empire or Interdependence Conference?" at Friends University in Wichita, where 23 Fulbright Visiting Scholars from 20 different countries discussed global issues and "had a truly nice interaction." Immediately following the Wichita conference, Stiopca traveled to Washington, DC to attend the 2005 Fulbright Visiting Scholars Conference.

The U.S. and the Fulbright Program have made a lasting impression on Stiopca. "I really appreciate that in the United States people love life," he said. He also admires the many civic activities and support associations such as the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Stiopca said he was most impressed with the working environment and the advanced use of technology in education. "You have everything here; the computer, Internet connection, an office and good library system." Stiopca also visited a global learning center where digital classrooms and video conferencing are available. He was amazed at the technology, saying it is advanced even compared to the U.S. in 2000.

"This technology is a real opportunity to begin more globally," he said. The academic and technological level in Moldova is not the same as the level in the United States. Sometimes you need to give up some of the ideas that you have here in the U.S. because they are considered strange back home. People are not always ready for all the ideas that we have here," Stiopca said. "This is why it's a very important thing to keep your relations."

For Stiopca, collaborating with sponsors, faculty and the Fulbright grant program to develop new projects is a method of developing projects that cannot be developed by Moldova alone. "It is very nice that we have this host program possibility to apply for a grant to make these projects happen," he said. The Fulbright Program has also helped Stiopca develop his career. "In Moldova, I just reached this point. I came to the United States to advance further, and I did this. I'm now going to reach another point in my knowledge," he said.

When Stiopca returns home to Moldova, he will initiate the Master Garden Project for the 4-H Youth Program. "We have implemented this project in Moldova in support of the International Partnership for Human Development organization," he said. Stiopca will also continue working with the Extension Methodology project for the Agency for Consulting and Training in Agriculture-an organization created in 2001 to help provide farmers in Moldova access to agricultural information. Stiopca suggests that Fulbright Scholars take advantage of the young extension program and go to Moldova to research the process. As for next year, Stiopca will train the remaining 200 of 400 agents in the extension engines service project.

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