IRD-IRRI seminar highlights stronger partnerships towards advancing rice research

(Los Baños, PHILIPPINES, 13 September 2023) - The Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) conducted a hybrid seminar to  update  its stakeholders on  ongoing research collaborations between the two organizations on 11 September 2023 at IRRI headquarters in the Philippines.

Around 50 scientists convened to discuss prospective collaborations in functional genomics, bioinformatics, functional genetics, health sciences, microbiome research, and ecology.  These discussions aimed to deepen the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the collaborative projects being implemented by IRD, IRRI together with other partner agencies such as the Africa Rice Center, CIRAD and INRAE, Royal University of Agriculture, National University of Battambang, and the General Directorate of Agriculture.

IRD, IRRI, and other project partners are working on various aspects of rice to understand how the crop grows to make varieties that are better and more resilient to the impacts of climate change, pests and diseases.

IRD's research initiatives and building stronger partnerships among developing countries are the French Government’s contribution to international development, according to the Deputy Director of the IRD Scientific Board, Laurent Laplaze.

IRRI has a long partnership with France and is heavily engaged in rice research delivery as well as partnerships to achieve the “pathway to impact continuum,” said Dr. Bas Bouman, the Research Director of Sustainable Impact through Rice-based Systems at IRRI.

This collaborative exchange not only enriched collective knowledge but also catalyzed the formation of potential joint research projects and initiatives. Scientists from IRRI and IRD highlighted their commitment to advancing rice research and the importance of synergy between the two organizations.

Representing IRD were Drs. Pierre Larmande, Alexandre Grondin, Gilles Béna, Eugénie Hébrard, Sébastien Cunnac, Lionel Moulin, Stéphane Bellafiore, Domenico Caruso, and Adeline Barnaud Drs. Kenneth McNally, Amelia Henry, Van Schepler-Luu, Nurmi Pangesti, and Rica Joy Flor represented IRRI.

Watch full recording:

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