Maureen Berner Studied European Approaches to Food Insecurity Through Foreign Exchange

In fall 2017, Professor of Public Administration and Government Maureen Berner traveled to Belgium to conduct research on food insecurity and poverty as a visiting scholar at Ghent University and its Centre for Global Studies. Berner also exchanged homes with University of Antwerp historian Maarten Van Ginderachter, who visited the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to work on his book and collaborate with faculty here in the United States.

The scholarly exchange was recently featured in Endeavors, a magazine about research and creativity at the University: “In Belgium, Berner observed many similarities between Europe and America. ‘Europe also focuses on employment policies, job training, business growth, education, community development, and social welfare,’ she shares. ‘Affordable housing is a significant issue, and recycling is a priority. Local government is local government in most ways.’”

Berner commented, “Obviously, there are great differences in how governments and non-profits work in Belgium and in Europe, but there is a lot of good information to be shared when we are all talking about the same issues and the same human condition.”

Berner wrote more about lessons learned in her semester abroad for the Community and Economic Development blog.

Read more about Berner’s exchange with visiting faculty at Endeavors online.