Semester at Sea extends learning beyond the classroom and into the diverse global community. When your economics professor is a former employee of the World Bank in Accra, that’s easy to do.
Dr. Chandra Ranade, who received a Ph. D in agricultural economics from Cornell, is teaching three classes this semester, Global Finance, International Trade, and Development Economics. He is one of this semester’s many distinguished faculty employing his career of global experience for the benefit of his students. Thanks to his three-year tenure at the World Bank in Ghana, Ranade was able to bring his students on an insider’s tour of economic Accra, featuring a visit to a friend’s award-winning farm and a presentation at his old office.
Economics students started their tour of Accra at the highly successful Ghanaian farm of Ranade’s old friend Harcharan S. Cheema. Cheema moved from India 30 years ago to set up a pioneering and popular business model, import seeds from India, grow vegetables in Africa, and export produce to the markets of Europe. The innovative plan has expanded to include 50 local farmers, and Cheema is now a 2-time recipient of Ghana’s President’s Award for farming.
