UPLB and Agreenium to sign MOU
- Written by OVCRE
- Published in News
Agreenium, the French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) following an institutional visit in their office in Paris, France.
Agreenium, through Prof. Etienne Saur, Head of International Relations, welcomed UPLB Chancellor Fernando C. Sanchez Jr, Vice Chancellor Portia G. Lapitan, Vice Chancellor Rex B. Demafelis, and University Extension Specialist Maria Rowena Beatriz Q. Inzon to its Paris office on 29 October 2018. The UPLB delegation were able to meet with officials of some of Agreenium’s 19 member higher education institutes.
Prof. Saur gave an introduction on Agreenium and its remarkable network of 15 schools and 4 research bodies. Officials from four of Agreenium’s higher education member institutes were also in attendance to present their various academic and research programs.
Dr. Christophe Sodore, Head of International Relations Office of AgriParisTech, discussed programs focused on Technology for Life, Food, and Environmental Sciences in its eight campuses.
Montpellier SupAgro, represented by Dr. Jean-Luc Bosio, Head of International Relations and Languages pointed out that as the French national institute in Agricultural Sciences, one of Montpellier SupAgro’s specialised institutes is on Food Technology and Rural Development for Tropical Regions.
CIRAD (Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) activities in South East Asia was discussed by Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr. Alain Rival, while CIRAD scientist Dr. Jean-Christophe Glaszmann presented a PhD opportunity and Cultivar Project Training in Plant Breeding.
The delegation also visited IRSTEA (National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture) the following day. Through its Deputy Director Dr. Jose Martinez, various research and experimental platforms focused on food security were discussed.
All in all, the signing of the MOU between UPLB and Agreenium will open many potential areas for academic collaboration and capacity building, such as student and staff exchange and collaborative research for both institutions in the years to come. More importantly, it will help in the promotion of a more sustainable society.
