About
ABIDAT
[ABAN - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) Institute for Dryland Agriculture
Technology]
Mission Statement
Initiated as an institution for innovatively solving the extreme challenges of the 1st century of the current millennium, faced particularly by fragile ecosystems, without precluding the arid and semi-arid ecologies through:
- Provision of an environment fostering balanced learning and scholarship for faculty and students/scholars in order for them to observe, examine critically, discover, acquire appropriate knowledge, skills, wisdom and values.
- Enabling learners to be creative and innovative for finding solutions to the critical constraints of dryland (rainfed) agriculture and work towards the enhancement of quality of life for all stakeholders.
- Patronage of a dynamic research-oriented faculty, dedicated to teaching and mentoring, such that the fulfilment of academic and professional passions of the stakeholders materialize.
- A continuous build-up of excellence and quality standards in all spheres, enabling application of solutions in a state-wide, national and international milieu.
- Strengthening academic and cultural exchange by offering opportunities to scholars across countries for study, research and service off-campus and overseas.
- Validation of the ideals of a pluralistic, multiracial, open and democratic society through its policies and agendas, with a perspective of global sustainability.
- Support of interdisciplinary studies for generation of new knowledge and promoting broad array of scholarly, advanced research and creative endeavours through an ecosystem of innovation.
ABIDAT Expects to Provide Qualified Candidates with World Class Exposure to Problem Solving Approaches in an Interactive Environment, so as to Promote Experiential Learning for Proficiency Development.
Our Vision
People living in water deficit areas of the world have the right to manage their land in a risk-mitigated environment through sustainable and holistic rejuvenation of fragile dryland and desert ecosystems that gives them an opportunity to live a decent dignified life of prosperity!
Our Values
We firmly believe that technology can be a great leveler of the playing field and there is a need to focus on the areas of the world where agriculture is mostly rainfed with little or no scope for irrigation. Innovatively, adapting new technologies and scientific methodologies for the adoption by Dryland farmers can hugely and positively impact the quality and productivity of these ecosystems even as it raises the standard of living of hitherto marginal farmers of these distressed areas.
Our Approach
Based on scientific and sound concepts, the adaptation of appropriate technologies for drylands combined with a missionary zeal in extending these innovative technologies to stakeholders, including farmers and the communities living in drylands is the way to go. Our approach will be three pronged where the ‘problem is specified, solution is developed and solution is deployed’ – demand-driven innovation.
Partnership
ABIDAT is a partnership between the ABAN Group of India and the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Israel. BGU is among the world leaders in the field of desert agriculture and water related research and is known for conducting cutting-edge research in a wide spectrum of subjects. More specifically the course content for the Certificate Program in Dryland studies is being offered by specialist professors from the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) and the Albert Katz International School of Desert studies (AKIS) - for more details on these institutions that operate under BGU, click here to read more.Through this partnership with BGU the ABAN Group strives to develop environmentally sustainable solutions to ensure the energy and food security of the country and the world.
BGU is an institution of 50+ years, that was mandated to ensure that Israel is food secure. They and a few similar institutions have ensured that Israel is not only food secure but is a major exporter of agricultural products to some of the most discerning markets of the world. Thus Israel has been able to ensure that a country which is 65% desert with almost no access to fresh water is capable of producing a wide range of agrarian merchandises for itself and the world. Recently the BGU was ranked 46th in the world rankings of universities with sustainable policies, and operates programs to promote awareness of environmental protection, a reduction in the use of resources, energy efficiency, promotion of research and wide-ranging educational and community activities. Furthermore, Ben-Gurion University was ranked 1st in “Student Satisfaction” among all the academic institutions in Israel.
