Singapore
February 17, 2009
The National University of
Singapore (NUS)and IRRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) yesterday to promote joint research and scientific
exchange between both organizations. Some possible areas of
collaboration include research into the biology of rice crops
and the design of new rice strains to improve productivity,
nutritional value, or resistance to hotter climate or harsh
environments. This is IRRI's first formal research collaboration
with a Singapore research institution.
In Singapore to sign the MOU, IRRI's Deputy Director General for
Research Dr Achim Dobermann said he expected the MOU to lead to
stronger connections between IRRI and Singapore and valuable
research outcomes.
Dr Dobermann commented, "The Department of Biological Sciences
at NUS is one of the best in the region. This MOU will
facilitate cooperation and research collaboration between
researchers at NUS and IRRI to help improve the sustainability
and productivity of rice production."
"We are particularly looking forward to strong scientist
interactions and hosting NUS students and young scientists at
IRRI for conducting research on many aspects of rice
improvement," Dr Dobermann said.
Through this and other collaborations, NUS hopes to evolve a
small but highly focused effort on food-related issues,
leveraging on its strengths in areas such as biology, chemistry,
food science, environment and engineering. Professor Barry
Halliwell, Deputy President (Research & Technology) of NUS and
Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor, said, "We are excited to
work with IRRI to contribute our research expertise to help
boost regional rice production. NUS' approach has been to
address challenges facing Singapore by engaging in high impact
research, and securing our food supply is one of our priorities.
This is especially so as Singapore relies on our neighboring
countries to produce food."
"Our collaboration with IRRI provides the opportunity for us to
extend our expertise in biological sciences, which has been
applied widely in medical sciences, to other important fields
such as agriculture," added Prof Halliwell. The university
boasts one of the best Life Sciences groupings in the Asia
Pacific Region with core strengths in biodiversity and
environmental science; cell, molecular and developmental
biology; and biophysical sciences.
Enhancing the productivity is critical for ensuring regional
food security in the future and NUS' expertise in biological
sciences can contribute directly towards this goal. Researchers
at the university's Department of Biological Sciences have
developed expertise in areas such as regulating plant growth and
development, with potential application to crop improvement.
There are also researchers in the Department looking into
enhancing rice yield and stress tolerance, which is an important
area because the current overall yield of rice in the regional
countries is well below (about 50%) the optimum yield from
intensive commercial cultivation.
In addition to strengthening its research expertise, NUS also
hopes to train a new generation of scientists and researchers
who could make significant contribution towards accelerating
rice research for the region.
A leading global university centred in Asia, the
National University of Singapore
(NUS) is Singapore's flagship university. It offers a global
approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian
perspectives and expertise. NUS has 14 faculties and schools
across three campus locations in Singapore – Kent Ridge, Bukit
Timah and Outram. Its transformative education includes a
broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses
and cross-faculty enrichment, as well as special programmes
which allow students to realize their potential.
The learning experience is complemented by a vibrant residential
life with avenues for artistic, cultural and sporting pursuits.
Over 30,000 students from 100 countries further enrich the
community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.
NUS shares a close affiliation with 21 university-level, 16
national-level and more than 80 faculty-based research
institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and
robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in
engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and
natural sciences. It also strives to create a supportive and
innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its
community.
The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) is the world's leading rice research and
training center. Based in the Philippines, with offices in 13
other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit institution
focused on improving the well-being of present and future
generations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those
with low incomes, while preserving natural resources. IRRI is
one of 15 centres supported, in part, by members of the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR; www.cgiar.org) and a range of other funding agencies.
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