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During 2004 Association members begin to discuss a new initiative to encourage college students to pursue careers related to international agriculture and rural development. It was noted that in the next 25 years, demographers project the world's population will increase from six to eight billion people. Many will suffer from hunger and the threat of starvation and poverty. To effectively address this critical situation, AIARD believes we must identify and mentor a generation of young men and women that have a passion for making a positive impact on the conditions of the underdeveloped world. These young professionals will need a broad array of social, cultural, economic, and scientific skills. To respond to this need, AIARD developed the "Future Leaders Forum." This competitive scholarship program is designed to provide experiences that will enhance understanding of critical issues, the roles played by various institutions in both the public and private sectors, and potential career pathways.

In 2005 our Association received partial funding support from USDA/CSREES and 12 college students from 6 universities participated in the AIARD Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C The student participants were introduced to professionals and potential career opportunities with universities, NGO's, governmental agencies, international financial institutions, and multinational corporations active in international agriculture and rural development. Several AIARD leaders accompanied the student scholars in meetings to facilitate networking, potential internships, and career visioning. The students met with representatives of World Bank, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, United Nations/FAO, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, USAID, USDA, Peace Corps and Chemonics International. Forum participants were Amanda Vander Meer (Colorado State University); Hugh Smeltekop (Michigan State University); Amanda Freund, Kara Laney (Cornell University); John Lundine, Carlos Alpizar, Mukta Joshi and Kimberly Darby (The Ohio State University); Anneke Gustafson, Erika Picazo, Michelle Pavelka (University of Nebraska); Janet Laminack (Texas A&M University).