The Agribusiness Summer Institute at Michigan State University (MSU) is a collaboration between the Visiting International Professional Program (VIPP) and the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
During your time at MSU, you will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning experiences both on and off campus. The program features academic and professional seminars, local field trips, and a study tour in Chicago.
Designed to enhance your understanding of U.S. agriculture, particularly in food and agribusiness value chain, the program also aims to strengthen your communication skills, cultural awareness, career planning, and personal development, including leadership skills.
Join us for an immersive experience that blends academic learning, professional field visits, and cultural exploration. This dynamic program offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of U.S. agribusiness, marketing, trade, and policy through lectures, workshops, farm and company visits, and a study tour to Chicago.
Gain foundational knowledge of the American agricultural system through expert-led lectures on topics such as:
Experience agriculture in action through visits to leading industry institutions, including:
Explore the rich history and diverse culture of Michigan and beyond together with our wider Global Summer School attendees including the German Fulbright students:
Institute Director
Dr. Holly Wang is a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) at Michigan State University. Prior to joining MSU, she served as an Assistant and later Associate Professor in the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University, and as a Full Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. She has also held guest, adjunct, or visiting professorships at institutions in Canada, China, Finland, Germany, and across the United States. Dr. Wang earned her BS from Tsinghua University in China, and both her MA in Economics and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University.
Dr. Wang’s research covers topics like agricultural policies, risks and finances, the interaction among agricultural production, food consumption and the environment, consumer preferences, E-Commerce, and international markets. Over the past three decades, Dr. Wang has been at the forefront of applying cutting-edge quantitative methods to empirical issues, including time series and spatial econometrics, experimental methods, and machine learning. She has authored over 130 articles published in academic journals. She has won AAEA Quality of Communication awards twice in recent years. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
Dr. Wang is a co-Editor-in-Chief of Food Policy and a co-Editor of China Agricultural Economic Review. Dr. Wang also held leadership positions within professional organizations, including the President of the Chinese Economists Society, an Executive Board Director of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the founding Chair of the AAEA China Section, and the Chair of several international conferences.
Holly Wang教授，博士，现任密西根州立大学农业、食品与资源经济系（AFRE）教授，曾任职于华盛顿州立大学和普渡大学。王教授在清华大学获得学士学位，在密西根州立大学获得硕士和博士学位。
王教授的研究主要聚焦于消费者偏好、食品安全与市场营销、农业风险管理、衍生品市场以及农业保险等领域，涵盖美国国内与国际问题。她指导过多位博士研究生，目前这些学生已在美国及国际一流研究型大学任教，或在金融行业担任经济学家。王教授曾讲授博士课程包括供需系统分析、决策分析与市场营销，硕士课程包括计量经济学与农业企业市场营销，本科课程包括公司金融、食品市场结构与中国经济等。
她现任《Food Policy》期刊主编（2023年至今），曾任该期刊联合主编（2020–2022），以及《中国经济评论》联合主编（2009年起）。王教授在中国相关农业经济问题领域具有广泛影响，已建立起坚实的学术声誉和广泛的专业网络。她曾担任美国农业与应用经济学会（AAEA）执行董事会成员（2014–2017），2009年任美中经济学会（Chinese Economists Society, CES）会长（该组织聚焦中国经济问题研究），并于2010年创立AAEA中国分会并担任首任主席。
Institute Faculty
Dr. David L. Ortega, a Professor and the Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics & Policy at Michigan State University, leads an integrated research, teaching, and outreach program focused on understanding the decision-making processes of consumers, producers, and agribusinesses to better inform food policies and marketing strategies.
Dr. Ortega has extensive research experience both domestically and internationally, including significant work in several emerging and developing countries across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 15 years, his work in China has centered on evaluating emerging markets for U.S. agricultural products and the economics of food quality. His research has been published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, including Food Policy, World Development, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Economic Development and Cultural Change, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and China Economic Review.
Recognized for his expert analysis of the forces and events that impact and shape the agricultural and food sectors, Dr. Ortega has been called upon to deliver testimony before federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees. His insights and economic analysis are also frequently featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Newsweek, Detroit Free Press, ABC News, NBC News, PBS, USA Today, CNN, Forbes, and Politico.
Dr. Ortega earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University.
David L. Ortega 博士是密西根州立大学食品经济与政策领域的 Noel W. Stuckman 教席教授。他主导一个融合研究、教学与公共服务的综合性项目，重点探究消费者、生产者及农业企业的决策过程，为食品政策制定与市场战略提供科学依据。
Ortega 教授拥有丰富的国内与国际研究经验，尤其在亚洲与撒哈拉以南非洲的新兴市场与发展中国家开展了大量实地研究。过去15年来，他在中国的研究聚焦于美国农产品的新兴市场开拓与食品质量的经济学分析。他的研究成果已发表在《Food Policy》、《World Development》、《Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy》、《Economic Development and Cultural Change》、《美国农业经济学期刊（AJAE）》及《中国经济评论》等国际权威学术期刊上。
作为农业与食品领域关键议题的权威分析专家，Ortega 教授曾多次应邀在美国联邦和州级政府机构作证，包括美国国会参议院和众议院农业委员会。他的研究成果和观点也频繁见诸主流媒体，如《纽约时报》、美国国家公共电台（NPR）、《华盛顿邮报》、《金融时报》、《新闻周刊》、底特律自由报（Detroit Free Press）、ABC新闻、NBC新闻、PBS、《今日美国》、CNN、《福布斯》和《政客》等。
Institute Faculty
Dr. Meilin Ma joined the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University in August 2018 after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. Her research expertise is in Agricultural Industrial Organization.
At Purdue University, Dr. Ma mainly studies supply chain economics and continues to focus on issues related to the intersection of agricultural economics and development economics. Her research currently focuses on the United States and China, and she is particularly interested in supply chain innovation and changing food consumption patterns, and plans to conduct in-depth research in these two countries.
Meilin Ma 博士于2018年8月加入普渡大学农业经济系，在此之前她于加州大学戴维斯分校获得博士学位。她的研究专长为农业产业组织（Agricultural Industrial Organization）。
在普渡大学，马博士主要研究供应链经济学，并持续关注农业经济与发展经济学交叉领域的相关议题。她的研究目前主要聚焦于美国与中国两国，尤其对供应链创新与不断变化的食品消费模式等方向充满兴趣，并计划在这两个国家深入开展相关研究。
Professor Songqing JinInstitute Faculty
Dr. Songqing Jin joined the faculty at the Michigan State University in August 2007. He is appointed in the tenure system. His research interests are in the broad areas of microeconomics of international agricultural development. The main part of his research has been focused on rural land tenure and rural land market issues in developing countries.
His past and current research also concerns other development issues such as rural non-farm development, rural labor migration, rural governance and economics of gender inequality. He has conducted fieldwork and other research activities in East Asia, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa countries during the past several years. Before coming to MSU, he was a research economist in the World Bank. He is currently working on Impact Evaluation of the “Scaling Up Sweet Potato Through Agriculture and Nutrition Project.
金松青博士自2007年8月起任教于密西根州立大学，目前为终身教职教授。他的研究方向主要集中在国际农业发展的微观经济学领域，重点关注发展中国家的农村土地制度与土地市场问题。
除土地制度外，他的研究还涉及诸多发展经济议题，包括农村非农产业发展、农村劳动力迁移、农村治理以及性别不平等的经济学分析等。他在过去几年中，曾在东亚、南亚及撒哈拉以南非洲多个国家开展实地调查与合作研究。
在加入MSU之前，金博士曾任职于世界银行，担任研究经济学家。目前他正参与“通过农业与营养推广红薯”项目的影响评估研究。
Institute Faculty
Dr. Jeta Rudi Polloshka is a fixed-term Assistant Professor of Food Marketing and Management in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE). Prior to this appointment, she was Assistant Professor of Agribusiness at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo (January 2017 – December 2021). Jeta earned her PhD in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Her appointment at MSU includes teaching and research responsibilities.
Jeta’s research focuses on analyzing consumer demand during various shocks, especially food safety recalls. Broadly, she is interested in the areas of consumer food choices, food safety and food waste. She is passionate about translating academic research into actionable policies and programs, as well as lessons for the food industry. As part of a USDA Food Safety Outreach project, she trains growers, food industry representatives, and students on the economics of food safety. She frequently visits with the food industry to learn about the challenges and opportunities and serves as a bridge between students and the industry. At MSU, Jeta teaches food marketing and managerial economics classes in the undergraduate program.
Jeta Rudi Polloshka 博士是密西根州立大学农业、食品与资源经济系的定期聘用助理教授，研究与教学方向聚焦于食品市场营销与管理。在此之前，她曾在加州州立理工大学圣路易斯-奥比斯波分校（Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo）任农业企业管理助理教授（2017年1月–2021年12月）。她于明尼苏达大学获得应用经济学博士学位。
Jeta 博士的研究重点在于分析不同冲击下的消费者食品需求，尤其关注食品安全召回事件。她的研究兴趣涵盖消费者食品选择、食品安全与食品浪费等领域，致力于将学术研究成果转化为可落地的政策建议、行业实践与教学内容。作为美国农业部食品安全推广项目的一部分，她为农户、食品行业从业者及学生讲授食品安全经济学相关内容。
她经常走访食品企业，深入了解其所面临的挑战与机遇，并积极在学生与行业之间搭建沟通桥梁。在密西根州立大学本科课程中，Jeta 博士主要教授食品市场营销与管理经济学。
Get to know your fellow Agribusiness Summer Institute participants with cultural activities to experience American culture and campus life. Hands-on enrichment will give you a real-world perspective for your academic studies. Enjoy field trips, networking opportunities, and learn about life in the U.S., Michigan, and Lansing, to truly become a part of the community and what it means to be a Global Spartan!
Established in 1855, Michigan State University is one of the world’s top research universities, dedicated to advancing the common good with uncommon will! Offering over 200 programs across 17 colleges, MSU shapes future leaders and impacts the world through its commitment to excellence in education, research, and service. U.S. News and World Report ranks MSU among the top 100 best global universities, and MSU is ranked #1 in the U.S. for study abroad among public universities. The MSU Visiting International Professional Program has trained more than 4,000 international professionals over the last 30 years, and our student programs have hosted over 650 students from 32 countries and 95 universities. We understand what students and young professionals need to build a successful career!
Become part of the vibrant MSU campus community through activities such as painting the rock (a time-honored rite of passage at MSU), behind the scenes tours of sporting facilities and stadiums, the VIPP summer programs barbeque, visits to local parks, and campus events! Immerse yourself in the American college summer experience, and become friends with American college students. MSU students will serve as cultural ambassadors throughout your program.
Known as the "Great Lakes State," Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes. Experience some of the state's most scenic and interesting locations. From the stunning natural beauty of Lake Michigan to the charm of a beach-front town, to the innovation and industry of cities, explore the diversity that makes up Pure Michigan. Learn about Michigan's rich automotive history and how Michigan is thriving today as a center of agribusiness and innovation.
Enjoy a trip to Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. Known as the "Windy City," Chicago is a hub for many industries including finance, insurance, real estate, business services, healthcare, and manufacturing, and is home to Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago is home to world-renowned museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, 8 major league sports teams, over 500 parks, and numerous cultural activities.
Lansing, located less than five miles from the MSU campus, is the capital city of the State of Michigan, and an ideal place to learn about American culture and society. You will experience various institutions including the State Capitol which is a National Historic Landmark and home to the Michigan Senate Chambers. Your program will also incorporate the rich resources of the Lansing community.
You are required to arrive at MSU on July 13, 2025 at the Detroit airport. Your on-campus accommodation will be at Owen Hall from July 13 to July 24, 2025. You will depart MSU on July 24 to complete your program in Chicago. The program concludes in Chicago on July 27, 2025. You are expected to arrange your return trip from Chicago on the date of July 27.
Program Fee
The program fee is $2,850 US dollars if payment is made before June 15, 2025.
The fee covers all course costs, accommodations, two meals a day, cultural and social activities, local guided field trips, and expenses of the Chicago study tour, except for personal expenses. Please note that lunch and dinner are not included during weekend field trips and the Chicago trip. Additionally, international flights are not included in the program fee.
The program fee is paid online on the VIPP Transact website.
Students who successfully complete this program will be awarded an MSU certificate by the Visiting International Professional Program and the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
Please note that the Agribusiness Summer Institute course is a non-credit bearing course focused on educational and cultural experiences within a U.S. higher education setting. You will not receive MSU credit. However, your home institution may choose to award credit. Consult with your home institution about credit questions.
Summer Institute students will enjoy all that MSU has to offer while living on campus in Owen Hall, located in MSU's River Trail Neighborhood. Owen Hall’s modern facilities include single rooms with suite-style bathrooms, wi-fi, cable tv, and weekly housekeeping. Read more about Owen Hall and take a virtual room tour.
Room Features:
Building Features:
The campus of Michigan State University is located in East Lansing on the banks of the Red Cedar River, and comprises a contiguous area of 5,200 acres. Built amid virgin forest, the campus opened in 1855. Today MSU's campus is home to 538 buildings.
To see more of MSU's beautiful campus, check out this virtual tour, featuring many short video clips and stories. Use the MSU interactive map to find various locations on campus, and read about campus safety.
Bike Rental
The MSU campus is very large, and riding a bike is a great way to get around. Bike rentals are available on campus through the MSU Bikes Service Center. Read about how to rent a bike at MSU. You can even reserve a bike prior to your arrival!
Other Useful Links
Michigan State University Spartans work to advance the common good with uncommon will. The nation's pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world and home to a diverse community of dedicated students, scholars, athletes, artists, scientists, leaders.
Application for the 2025 Agribusiness Summer Institute is open now through June 15, 2025. To apply, complete the online application.
Prior to beginning your application:
Requirements
To apply, you must:
Before You Apply
Before applying to our program, be sure to:
Tuition Payment
We strongly encourage you to make payment early to apply for a Visa. We will issue a receipt for the tuition payment and that may be helpful in passing the Visa interview.
Refund Policy
There will be no refunds available unless a student gets rejected for a U.S. visa or has a health emergency. All refund appeals require a signed letter of explanation and supporting documentation. The appeal letter must be written and signed by the student. For a medical problem, we require verification of the severity of the condition that prevents you from coming to the US and participating in the program. We require a letter, typed on official letterhead, from a physician or a relevant healthcare provider. The letter must be signed and delivered/mailed in a sealed envelope. Emails or unsigned letters on plain stationery are not acceptable. The final decision on refund is at VIPP’s discretion.
How to Pay
Tuition payment is made online on the VIPP Transact website.
All foreign citizens who wish to travel to the United States must obtain a U.S. visa. For general information about U.S. visa, please visit US Department of State website. After we review your application we will send you an invitation letter. However, this letter is not a U.S. visa nor does it guarantee your entry to the U.S. You must check the U.S. embassy website in your home country to find out all necessary documents to apply for a non-immigrant visitor visa (B1, B2). Alternatively, you may check whether you are eligible for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
For detailed information about the U.S. visitor visa, check https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html.
A short-term training workshop like the summer institute program will be classified for B-1 visa type. To obtain a B visa, You must fill out a DC-160 form, pay the visa fee, schedule your visa appointment, and pass the visa interview. You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview, generally, at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. Wait times for interview appointments vary by location, season, and visa category, so you should apply for your visa early. VIPP strongly encourages you to pay the tuition early to process a visa. Don't wait until the deadline! It is your responsibility to check the visa process and prepare all documents needed.
Familiarize yourself with the details of the summer institute program prior to the visa interview. The following documents will be helpful to pass the visa interview:
Visa Waiver Program
Some countries such as the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the European Union participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). VWP enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa. Still, in order to travel without a visa on the VWP, you must have authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Please check the details of process at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's official site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/. They strongly suggest applying for an ESTA at the time of booking their trip and no later than 72 hours prior to departure.
At the Airport
Obtaining a visa does not guarantee automatic entry to the U.S. When you arrive in the U.S., officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the airport will interview you to check the purpose of your visit. It is always a good idea to prepare our invitation letter and your return flight ticket back to your country.
Meet the MSU students who will serve as cultural ambassadors during the program!
Cheyanne SchlinkeMSU Senior
Major: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biotechnology
My name is Cheyanne Noel Schlinke, but my friends call me Chey – pronounced as “Shy”. I am an Undergraduate at Michigan State University Majoring in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Biotechnology. I am also pursuing a minor in German Language.
In my free time I do Latin dancing – Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cha Cha, you name it – as well as long distance running, hiking, reading, sewing, and hanging out with friends. I am super excited to show the international students all the fun spots in East Lansing and on MSU’s campus! I might even show them some dance moves.
Maximilian WeitenMSU Junior
Major: Business Management
Hallo zusammen, my name is Max Weiten! I am a junior at MSU's Eli Broad College of Business, majoring in business management and minoring in international business. Originally from Ludwigsburg, Germany, I am bilingual in both German and English. I have lived in the U.S. for the past 16 years, and have traveled internationally for most of my life. My favorite foreign country to visit is Australia, due to its unique ecosystems and breathtaking beaches. My current favorite show is “Severance”, and my hobbies include dirt biking, technology, and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I look forward to this program, and hope to meet you all soon!
Henna NellisMSU Junior
Major: Graphic Design
My name is Henna Nellis and I’m from Owosso, Michigan. I'm currently going to school for Graphic Design and I’ll be going into my second year at MSU.
Outside of classes I’m a part of a few different clubs on campus including a craft club, graphic design club and the pearl project (which is a club that goes on trips to volunteer at a daycare in Chicago). I’m very happy and excited to meet everyone!
Shankho BhattacharjeeMSU Graduate Student
Program: Marketing Research and Analytics
Hi everyone! My name is Shankho Bhattacharjee, and I am an international student from India. I have two cities that I consider to be my hometowns- one is Calcutta, and the other is Gurgaon. I came to the US in 2016 to get my undergraduate degree in marketing from MSU with minors in international business, economics, and entrepreneurship. I am a graduate student in the Masters in Marketing Research and Analytics program.
I have run two startups at MSU and have been a part of our startup incubator, the Hatch. I also started a student organization that functioned as a smaller-scale incubator affiliated with our Entrepreneurship program, OptiMIze MSU, which supports socially conscious projects. During my undergraduate program, I was an Intercultural Aide (ICA) helping students navigate cultural differences and was involved with the International Students Association. During my master’s program, I co-founded the Marketing Research Association and am also a part of the Indian Students Organization.
I enjoy cooking for larger groups of people, a bit of single-player gaming, critiquing all sorts of media with friends and family, becoming an armchair historian and tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist, playing the bass abhorrently, enjoying an occasional game of tennis, and learning about different cultures.
MSU Junior
Major: German
Hello, my name is Carson Garrow and I am from the lone star state of Texas. I am studying to become a translator in both German and Portuguese here at MSU. I have taken and plan on taking other classes in other languages since it is my dream of being fluent in as many languages as possible. I have taken courses in Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Finnish and next semester will take Norwegian.
Outside of my educational life, my hobbies include playing videos games with my friends from Texas, writing, and independently learning game design. I am very excited to be able to work with everyone!
MSU Freshman
Major: German
Hi! I'm Zachary Bigelow, an MSU freshman from Ohio majoring in German at the College of Arts and Letters. I've been lucky enough to visit Germany twice in my life, including once on exchange, and I've been studying the language for nearly eight years. I enjoy reading and writing, and I often spend time just relaxing in nature. I look forward to starting this program and meeting all of you!
MSU Senior
Major: International Relations and Information Science
My name is Lance Lionquist and I am a senior at MSU, pursuing a double major in international relations and information science, with an additional minor in history. Outside of class, I am heavily involved in campus life, though I am most notably involved with the MSU Geography Club, in which I currently serve as the vice president.
In my free time I enjoy biking, photography, reading, spending time with my friends, and travel - I have been to several countries in Europe, including Hungary, where I studied abroad, though I have not yet been to Germany unfortunately. I hope to visit soon, though. I am very excited to meet everyone and participate in this program!
MSU Junior
Major: Geology
Hello! My name is Sigourney! I major in Geology at MSU and I am currently a junior. I speak German, Spanish, Chinese, and a little bit of Russian. I aspire to be a Paleontology Professor at Arizona State University and will attend their University for Graduate School. I have a dog, her name is Rio, and I enjoy music, movies, as well as attending concerts!
Isabel HsuOberlin Junior
Major: Cinema Studies
Hello! I'm Isabel, a rising junior and Cinema Studies major at Oberlin College, a liberal arts school in Ohio. Although I do not attend MSU, I did grow up in Okemos, a town situated very near to the university. I have a lot of love for the local area and for Michigan in general. Some general things I enjoy are reading, writing, swimming, painting, and, of course, movies. I am so excited to meet everyone!
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