Final year agricultural students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) will resume their studies shortly with their sights firmly set on international experience in the middle of the year. Third year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) degree will spend two weeks visiting sites of agricultural significance in the south of Vietnam. The group will visit the fertile Mekong Delta, spending much of the time at Can Tho University in Cantho City, a major centre for agricultural education.  Accompanied by CSU lecturers Dr Jason Condon and Dr Alison Southwell, the students will look at tropical farming systems, agricultural research and markets, with some time set aside to visit Long Tan, a place of Australian historical significance. “The study tour is a great opportunity for CSU agriculture students to experience the many differences between Australian and Vietnamese farming whilst still being able to appreciate the similarities that exist, such as, the loss of small family farms, the effect of rising costs of inputs and increased urbanisation on rural communities,” said Dr Condon.   Travelling with the students will be CSU Honours student Ms Melanie Bower. Supervised by Dr Condon, Melanie will undertake three months of research in Vietnam investigating the advantages of using compost with small rates of fertilizers rather than relying on fertilizers alone. “With the cost of fertilizer rising, a reduction in its use would greatly benefit small farmers in Vietnam,” said Ms Bower.