VINCENNES, Ind. – It is an important time for innovation in agriculture and Agricultural Attaché to the Embassy of Hungary in Washington D.C. Kocsy Bela says the future of agricultural education is at Vincennes University.

Bela recently toured the Vincennes campus, including the University’s new state-of-the-art Agricultural Center with its high-end technology and modern approach to agriculture.

“What I see is making agriculture more sexy and more sellable for young people, and that’s the most important thing,” Bela said. “This entire facility can encourage young people to choose agricultural education because that’s the future, and it’s really needed. That is my takeaway from here to tell my colleagues in D.C.”

Bela is a graduate of the Purdue University Krannert Graduate School of Management and previously served as director of international affairs and trade for the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture.

“It was a pleasure hosting Bela, whom I knew from my time at Purdue. I saw that he was visiting in Indiana and am very appreciative that he took the time to visit us. It was an honor for me to show him some of the innovative programming VU is doing, not only in Agriculture, but in many other technical fields,” VU President Chuck Johnson said. “We had great discussions about many ways VU might be able to work with Hungarian companies and educational institutions in the agriculture and manufacturing sector.”

VU is preparing the next generation of farmers and agriculture professionals by teaching students innovative farming solutions and exposing them to cutting-edge technology, such as drones.

The 45,000-square-foot Vincennes University Agriculture Center is located along U.S. 41 at 4207 N. Purdue Road just north of Vincennes. It houses the University’s John Deere Precision Agriculture, Horticulture, Agriculture, and Agribusiness programs as well as the Purdue University’s Food Safety Training hub. The facility features 13 wooded acres, a greenhouse, and bee colonies.

“I’m really impressed,” Bela said. “All the facilities are, ‘Wow.’ I’m speechless frankly. What I’ve seen here is the future of agricultural education.”

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper, the Aviation Technology Center and American Sign Language program in Indianapolis, Early College Career and Technical Education Centers, and additional sites such as the Gene Haas Training and Education Center in Lebanon, the Logistics Training and Education Center in Plainfield, and the Gibson County Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics in Fort Branch. A leader in developing Early Colleges statewide, VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation.

In addition to offering a wide range of associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and science, and special education/elementary education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 36 other states, and 21 other countries. Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with residence halls. VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the United States. William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. More information is available at www.vinu.edu.

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Vincennes University Newsroom

MARCIA MARTINEZ, University Life Reporter & Sports Information Director
   812-888-4164 office, 314-599-1519 cell, VUNews@vinu.edu, mmartinez@vinu.edu
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, Department of University Relations, www.vinu.edu/newsroom