CATIE Graduate School Offers Free International Master Classes on Coffee Growing, Agribusiness, and Watershed Management

• The initiative will enable professionals from across the region to receive free training from CATIE specialists, learn more about three of its virtual master’s programs, and obtain information on scholarships, financing, and educational opportunities.

The Graduate School of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) will offer a free learning opportunity this month for professionals and individuals interested in strengthening their knowledge in strategic areas for the region’s sustainable development through three International Master Classes focused on coffee growing, agribusiness, and watershed management.

The first session will focus on sustainable and regenerative coffee growing and will take place on Monday, August 17, at 4:00 p.m. Costa Rica time. Titled “Diagnosis, Design, and Management of Shade in Coffee Plantations,”the Master Class will be led by Rolando Cerda, a CATIE specialist in agroforestry systems and coffee growing. The session will explore the importance of proper shade management as part of strategies to enhance the sustainability and productivity of coffee production systems.

To register for free, click here

Later that same day, Monday, August 17, at 5:30 p.m., the agribusiness Master Class, titled “Trends That Open Markets: How to Identify Opportunities for Agribusinesses,”will take place. The session will be led by Johana Fernández, an international agribusiness specialist and CATIE faculty member, who will share tools and perspectives for understanding the trends creating new market opportunities and how to identify them within the agribusiness sector.

To register for free, click here

The third Master Class will be held on Tuesday, August 18, at 5:00 p.m. and will focus on the sustainable management of water resources. Titled “Optimizing Strategic Action Plans for Watershed Sustainability: Contributions from AI,” the session will feature William Watler, Ph.D., an expert in hydrological modeling and data science applied to sustainable watershed management, and Laura Benegas, Ph.D., a specialist in watershed management and water security and coordinator of CATIE’s Watershed Unit. They will discuss the potential of artificial intelligence as a tool to strengthen planning and decision-making in watershed management.

To register for free, click here

Participation in all three activities will be free of charge and the sessions will be held virtually, allowing professionals from different countries to join from anywhere. Those wishing to obtain an official certificate of participation may request one for a fee of US$10.

In addition to their training component, the Master Classes were designed as an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the CATIE Graduate School, its academic programs, and the opportunities it offers professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean. During the sessions, participants will receive information about the master’s programs, their characteristics and benefits, as well as available scholarship and financing options for those interested in continuing their professional education.

The initiative also comes at a key time for those interested in beginning their graduate studies. Admissions for CATIE’s virtual master’s programs will remain open until August 24, 2026, while classes are scheduled to begin on September 7, 2026.