Asia & Africa: Improving skills on technology transfer systems

Participants during one of their field trips during the 2-week technology transfer workshop.

Jerome Cayton Barradas facilitates the discussion on the use of ICTs in communicating agricultural information.

It is important to develop the capacities of Asian and African countries for effective knowledge dissemination and technology transfer, according to Peter Brothers, head of IRRI Education. To help achieve this, IRRI Education, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) facilitated a training workshop on technology transfer systems in Asia, 26 June-7 July, at the International Technology Cooperation Center, RDA Headquarters, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.

Twenty-three participants from Cambodia, Côte D’Ivoire, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam joined the 2-week course, which focused on rice production technologies for breeding, pest management, post-production, and developing successful rice-extension linkages.

The workshop also involved developing an understanding of the skills needed by modern rural extension agents including an appreciation of the benefits of information and communication technologies. At the end of the workshop, the trainees created and  presented work plans that they intend to implement in their countries.

During the closing program, Chhourn Orn, a participant from Cambodia, thanked RDA and IRRI for organizing the workshop. “After being introduced to new technologies, we can now deal with problems and issues when we go back home”, he added. In addition, Ngozika Fanny Okorie, a trainee from Nigeria, said that the workshop has been very informative and helpful and that she looks forward to carrying and sharing these with others upon her return home.

“In 2017, the workshop accepted trainees from African countries for the first time as a means of expanding the program’s reach,” said Dr. Brothers. FAO supported the attendance of the participants from Africa. Since its initial offering in 2002, the training workshop has produced almost 300 graduates from 15 countries in Asia and now Africa as well.

This year’s workshop was designed and facilitated by Maria Socorro Arboleda (IRRI Education) with Dr. Brothers, Carlito Balingbing (Crop and Environmental Sciences Division), and Jerome Cayton Barradas (Integrative Impact Division).

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