Western Australia
June 27, 2007
International collaboration can
help combat climate change and Western Australian and Chinese
researchers are joining forces to improve climate adaptation
strategies and pass on the subsequent benefits to growers.
As part of a A$1.9 million project,
the University of Western
Australia (UWA) Institute of Agriculture is collaborating
with China’s Lanzhou University
on a sustainability initiative for dry and cold ecosystems,
using west China as a model.
According to Institute Director, Professor Kadambot Siddique,
the 'Sustainable Development of Agriculture in Dry and Cold
Ecosystems of Loess Plateau’ project will develop long term
climate adaptation strategies that will be extended to
Australian growers.
“It aims to train researchers and post-graduate students in the
environmental characterisation of dry and cold eco-systems and
develop improved crop and pasture production technologies and
animal husbandry practices for the arid and cold areas of
western China,” Professor Siddique said.
“The lessons learned from the project will directly apply to
Western Australia's broadacre dryland agriculture,” he said.
The Chinese Ministry of Education launched the ‘111’ program in
September, 2006, aiming to invite 1000 world class academics
from the world’s top 100 universities to establish 100
innovative research bases in China.
Director of the Centre for
Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, Professor Neil Turner
and UWA School of Plant Biology Senior Lecturer and Deputy
Leader of Plant Production Systems Program, Dr Guijun Yan,
accompanied Professor Siddique on a recent visit to Lanzhou
University to commence the newly funded initiative.
“UWA’s Institute of Agriculture was privileged to be invited to
participate in the program, which was in recognition of UWA’s
world class dryland agriculture expertise,” Professor Siddique
said.
“We discussed a range of topics, sharing information about
dryland agriculture, water-use efficiencies, dryland crop and
pasture breeding management, genetics research and profitable
animal production.
“Further alliances between the universities were established,
including the development of a memorandum of understanding.
“We agreed to promote co-supervision of PhD students, exchange
of university academics, joint applications for research grants
and expanding the current collaboration within the 111 project
framework,” he said.
To expand and sustain the collaboration, Professors Siddique and
Turner and Dr Yan were appointed Honorary Professors of the
Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Adjunct Professors of
the National Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology and
Guest Professors of Lanzhou University.
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Pictured at the appointment of UWA Institute of
Agriculture (IOA) representatives as guest
professors at China's Lanzhou University are (L-R)
IOA Senior Lecturer and Deputy Leader of Crop
Production Systems Program, Dr Guijun Yan, IOA
Director, Professor Kadambot Siddique, Lanzhou
University Vice President, Professor Hui Gan, CLIMA
Director, Professor Neil Turner and Lanzhou
University Dean of College of Pastoral Agricultural
Science, Professor Nan Zhibiao. |
UWA has a proud 70 year history
of teaching and research in agriculture and natural resource
management. The Faculty of Agriculture was established at UWA in
1936 and the Institute of Agriculture in 1938 to provide
critical research facilities and staff for effective training of
professional agricultural graduates and scientists at
post-graduate level. UWA recently re-established the Institute
of Agriculture, with Professor Kadambot Siddique as Director, to
strengthen the cohesion of agriculture teaching and research
within and between UWA Faculties. The Institute will co-ordinate
existing strengths of the Faculty in teaching and research in
agricultural science, while advancing UWA’s reputation in
agriculture by enhancing links with industry, farmer groups, the
community and national and international organizations. |
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