The University of Queensland’s Gatton campus is already looking forward to a productive 2009 after recently hosting the 21st South East Asian Regional Centre for Agriculture University Consortium (SEARCA-UC).
Representatives from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Canada attended the two-day event to discuss plans for collaboration between the partner universities for the New Year.
The consortium was established in 1989 and facilitates regular staff and student exchanges between the institutions, builds capacity in agriculture and environment programs at leading South East Asian universities and enriches the international experience within the Faculty of Natural Resources and Veterinary Science.
UQ Professor Richard Williams said the partnerships between the universities opened doors for exciting new projects.
“The demand for animal protein is growing rapidly across South East Asia resulting in a lot of interest in collaboration with researchers in the recently opened Centre for Advanced Animal Science at Gatton,” Professor Williams said.
“Another benefit of the consortium is the support for student exchanges which provides opportunities for our students to undertake as part of their study or to gain work experience in South East Asia.
“It brings international students to Gatton, enriching the cultural diversity on campus.”
The current priority for the consortium is food security, with plans in place to create an international workshop next year as part of a leadership building program.
Media: Erin Pearl from NRAVS (07 5460 1229)
