Summer Cotton Schools Ready to Convene
May 16, 2019 As sure as humidity arrives in Memphis and the hot winds blow in Lubbock, young cotton professionals from the U.S. and around the world will be participating in one of the two cotton-focused institutes available for advanced training and development in all things cotton.
ACSA International Cotton Institute
The American Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) International Cotton Institute is a six-week residential program on the campus of the University of Memphis, running from June 10-July 18. The Institute is designed to provide a basic education in all aspects of the cotton industry and the international business environment and offers an in-depth look at cotton from multiple perspectives – from field to fabric, to manual classing and the use of HVI data, through risk management and the basics of price protection.
The program is taught by a select group of guest faculty members drawn from the U.S. and global cotton industry. Their combined experiences in cotton, international trade and marketing, and trans-cultural training – plus global understanding of business practices – provide complete and up-to-date information and training for Institute students.
Field trips are also an integral part of the Institute program and provide the opportunity for valuable on-site instruction. This year’s scheduled excursions include visits to cotton farming operations in the Mississippi Delta, to Cotton Incorporated headquarters in North Carolina, to USDA, and to Memphis Compress Warehouse.
About 25-30 students are expected for this year’s program, according to Jerry Marshall, Institute director, with representation from the U.S. and at least five other cotton-producing countries. The education is important, but Marshall also notes that one of major benefits to the students are the professional networking contacts they make for their careers.
Registration information and details on the program and curriculum can be found at bf.memphis.edu/cotton.
Texas International Cotton School
Registration is open for the 39th session of the Texas International Cotton School, scheduled for August 5-15 in Lubbock.
The school is structured to provide an integrated understanding of the Texas cotton industry and how it interacts with the global cotton/textile complex. Since it began, the school has been a collaborative effort between the Texas cotton merchants who make up the Lubbock Cotton Exchange and the faculty and staff of the Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute of Texas Tech University.
The two-week curriculum features more than 30 experts from across the U.S. as students learn about the cotton marketing chain – including seed breeding, farm production, harvesting, ginning, warehousing, merchandising, and textile manufacturing.
All aspects of U.S. and global trade of cotton are covered, providing students an understanding of what’s required to successfully participate in the U.S. cotton market and to deliver the cottons needed in diverse export markets. They also learn about the important quality attributes of cotton fibers and how these translate into processing efficiency and textile product quality.
For more information, including tuition and curriculum, visit TexasIntlCottonSchool.com.
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