Long before Sanjaya Rajaram became one of the world’s most influential wheat breeders, he was a young researcher learning alongside Norman Borlaug in Mexico.
Rajaram credited Borlaug with teaching him the value of hands-on field research over desk-based work. Born on a small farm in Uttar Pradesh, Rajaram went on to build an extraordinary career at CIMMYT, developing wheat varieties that reached farmers around the world and eventually receiving the World Food Prize. His legacy, however, extended beyond his science. Over decades at CIMMYT, he trained and mentored hundreds of young researchers, many of whom went on to lead research programs themselves.
His journey from young researcher to scientist and mentor reflects an idea central to CIMMYT’s approach to capacity building. Scientific progress depends not only on generating knowledge, but also on investing in people who can take that knowledge forward and find solutions to emerging challenges.
Decades later, that tradition continues through opportunities for students to step beyond university classrooms and experience agricultural research first-hand. In India, one such opportunity has brought students —over 30 final-year undergrads— from Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) to CIMMYT for the past three years.
From learning about research to experiencing it
For many KAU students, the intensive internship at CIMMYT India is their first opportunity to experience what working in an international agricultural research organization involves.
The most recent cohort brought together seven final-year undergraduate students from a batch of 55 applicants as part of CIMMYT-IRRI-FAS (Foundation for Agrarian Studies) internship program at CIMMYT in Hyderabad. They were selected based on the statement of purpose submitted and an interview with Vijesh Krishna, Principal Scientist (Socioeconomics) at CIMMYT, who leads the KAU internship program for CIMMYT.
These interns arrived with academic foundations in agricultural science and economics. What awaited them was a different kind of classroom. Over five weeks, the interns followed the research process from start to finish. They began with research methodology and an introduction to CIMMYT and CGIAR’s research areas, then moved to research question identification, descriptive and empirical analysis, and drafting findings. A field visit near Hyderabad connected their learning with real-world agricultural contexts, while engagement with the FAS brought perspectives on rural and agrarian issues. The internship culminated in final presentations, where students brought together their research questions, analysis and findings before researchers and mentors.
Beyond completing modules, the students saw how questions are framed, data examined, evidence interpreted and findings debated. There were unfamiliar concepts and new analytical approaches to navigate. What impressed their mentors was not simply how much they learned, but how they approached the experience.
Alfiya Nizar, who won the Best Intern Award in 2026, describes the process as, “What I learned from this internship is that research does not always go as planned. Emerging contexts in the field, changing questions at times to ensure robust results, and unexpected findings taught me to stay flexible and adapt. By my final presentation, the challenges felt worthwhile. The experience and feedback from my mentors strengthened my interest in applied research and will help guide my future career.”
That transition from studying research to participating in it is where internships can add something distinctive to university education. Academic programs provide theoretical and methodological foundations, while an active research environment allows students to see those concepts questioned, tested and applied. Five weeks cannot teach all the nuances of research. Those come with experience, mistakes, discoveries and many more research questions. But five weeks can begin to teach something fundamental: how to think like a researcher.
For Athul Krishna, one of the seven interns of the 2026 batch, the five weeks gave that experience a larger sense of purpose. “This internship greatly increased my curiosity about empirical research and gave me the confidence to pursue socioeconomic research in my further studies. The experience became even more rewarding when, soon after completing my degree this year, I returned to CIMMYT, this time as a research consultant. I have the opportunity to put everything into practice now as a researcher.”
Mentorship, curiosity and confidence
Often, important lessons happen outside formal training sessions. They emerge when a scientist explains why one methodology was chosen over another, a mentor questions an assumption, or an unexpected result leads to a new discussion.
According to Vijesh Krishna, these interactions are central to the experience. “Such experiences can help demystify research. Students discover that research is not simply about arriving at the correct answer. It starts from asking the right questions, accepting uncertainty, developing critical thinking, perseverance and, importantly, learning to work as a team. This year, we collaborated with IRRI and FAS, and this has helped students get a broad picture of socioeconomic research beyond the institutional boundaries.”
The benefits can extend beyond technical knowledge. “Internships can build confidence, communication and problem-solving skills, while exposing students to interdisciplinary ways of working. For some students, a meaningful career in international agricultural research can begin in learning spaces like those created by CIMMYT’s socioeconomics team in India,” says Stephen Gudz, Director of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems. “I am glad that I could interact with the interns of the 2026 batch and encourage them for their future research endeavours,” he added.
Hadiya Jaz experienced this first-hand. When she interned at CIMMYT in 2024, research was something she had largely encountered through university studies. The internship gave her a glimpse of what doing research could look like and influenced what she chose to do next.
“I still remember my internship days at CIMMYT in 2024. CIMMYT gave me a different perspective on applying my academic knowledge in a real-world scenario. Our study on women’s Self-Help Groups in Kerala further strengthened my interest in social sciences and prompted me to pursue my Master’s in Agricultural Extension Education.”
Her experience illustrates an impact that cannot necessarily be measured on the final day of an internship. Sometimes, the more meaningful question is what students choose to do afterwards. Supporting this internship program from KAU, Dr Archana Sathyan Assistant Prof. at KAU said, “I have been closely involved with the CIMMYT-KAU internship program since 2023 and I have seen how exposure to and interaction with scientists and researchers strengthen students’ research aptitude, skills, and career aspirations. Its impact goes beyond individual interns, as the program builds networks and inspires other students to explore new research and career opportunities.”
Preparing researchers for a changing agriculture
Today’s students will encounter increasingly complex agricultural challenges, from climate change and natural resource pressures to rapidly evolving technologies and changing rural economies. Addressing them will require researchers who can work across disciplines and connect scientific evidence with the realities of farmers and food systems.
Universities will remain central to preparing that generation. Partnerships with research organizations can complement this by exposing students to applied research while they are still shaping their interests, skills and ambitions. For CIMMYT, with more than six decades of collaboration with India, these opportunities are an investment in the people who will carry agricultural research and solutions forward.
That investment can have a multiplier effect. A student mentored today may become a researcher developing innovations tomorrow and, in time, a mentor to another generation.
A beginning, not an end
At the end of five weeks, the interns leave CIMMYT with new skills and a better understanding of socioeconomic research. But some of the more consequential outcomes may take years to become visible.
One may pursue a Master’s, as Hadiya did. Another may discover a question that eventually becomes a PhD. Others may become agricultural economists, scientists, development practitioners or policymakers. In time, some may mentor young researchers themselves.
Sanjaya Rajaram once arrived at CIMMYT as a young researcher. He learned alongside Borlaug, became an extraordinary scientist, and then invested his own knowledge in generations who followed him.
Today’s interns will write their own stories. The value of an internship extends far beyond the time spent in a research environment. For these students, five weeks of learning, mentorship and discovery may be only the beginning, shaping the questions they ask, the paths they pursue and the contributions they make to agricultural research in the years ahead.
Sahad Puliyancheri from the 2026 internship batch shares this optimism. “The five-week internship gave me a strong foundation to understand both the real-world impact and limitations of socioeconomic research. As I move forward, I remain committed to enriching my current capacity to undertake research that informs policy and decision-making, strengthens understanding, and supports farming communities.”