New Colombo Plan Scholar David Coleman recently completed an internship working to improve food security in Laos during a break from his agricultural studies at Thailand's Mahidol University.

The internship with the National Agricultural & Forestry Research Institute gave David an opportunity to use his skills in soil science and field mapping to research watermelon diseases in rural Laos. This research is helping to find ways to improve incomes of smallholder farmers in Laos through better land management practices.

"Through my internship, I am making industry contacts and gaining an understanding of the role and types of jobs that are involved in project management and international development," said David.

"My achievements will assist me in my future career. I am currently completing a report for the Australian based Crawford Fund (working closely with ACIAR) describing the challenges farmers face in developing dry season cash crops for export, and will co-author a paper describing the farming systems and supply chain of cash crops in southern Laos," David said.

After his internship, David returned to Thailand to resume his studies at Mahidol University, which focus on adapting agricultural systems to climate change to improve food security.

David is studying a Bachelor of Environmental Systems at the University of Sydney and is using his New Colombo Plan scholarship to position himself for postgraduate studies and a career in international agricultural research and development.