RECENT VISITORS
29 March 2018: Grace Ju Miller, Professor of Biology, Division of Natural Sciences of Indiana Wesleyan University, USA accompanied by Ruey-Hua Lee from Institute of Tropical Plant Sciences, National Cheng-Kung University at the genebank.
16-19 April 2018: Dr. Taryono (center), Head of Centre for Agrotechnology Innovation, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia visited WorldVeg HQ to hold discussions with Flagship Program Leader – Vegetable Diversity and Improvement and Head of Molecular Genetics Roland Schafleitner, Vegetable Breeder Mohammed Rakha, Pepper Breeders Sanjeet Kumar (left) and Derek Barchenger (right), and Plant Breeder Peter Hanson. Dr. Taryono shared a presentation to WorldVeg staff on “The future strategy of Agrotechnology Innovation Centre of Universitas Gadjah Mada (AIC-UGM).”
23 April 2018: A group of 40 students led by Professor Kuan-Hung Lin from the Department of Horticulture and Biotechnology, China Culture University, Taiwan visited the Demonstration Garden.
27 April 2018: Professor Xiangming Xu, Head of Pest and Pathogen Ecology Department NIAB East Malling Research (NIAB EMR), UK visited WorldVeg HQ, took a tour of the genebank with Genebank Manager Maarten van Zonneveld, and gave a seminar to WorldVeg staff on “How random is fungal sexual reproduction?” He met WorldVeg Plant Pathologists Lawrence Kenyon, Sophia Chan, Jaw-rong Chen, Zong-ming Sheu, and Chien-hua Chen, Lead Entomologist & Flagship Program Leader for Safe and Sustainable Value Chains Srinivasan Ramasamy, Entomologist Paola Sotelo-Cardona, Scientist – Vegetable Grafting Ravishankar Manickam, Pepper Breeders Sanjeet Kumar, Derek Barchenger, Tomato Breeders Peter Hanson, and Mohamed Rakha.
2-4 May 2018: Vimal Chawda (right), Managing Director and Parag Agarwal, R & D Lead (Vegetable Crops), VNR Seeds Private Limited, India discussed future cooperation on breeding research work with Flagship Program Leader – Vegetable Diversity and Improvement and Head of Molecular Genetics Roland Schafleitner, Plant Breeder Peter Hanson, Deputy Director General – Research David Johnson, Vegetable Breeder Mohammed Rakha, Scientist – Vegetable Grafting Ravishankar Manickam, Pepper Breeders Sanjeet Kumar and Derek Barchenger, Plant Pathologists Lawrence Kenyon, Sophia Chan, Jaw-rong Chen, Zong-ming Sheu and Wallace Chen.
11 May 2018: Jay Bost, Senior Farm Coach of Go Farm Hawaii New Farmer Training Program, University of Hawaii, USA chats with Genebank Manager Maarten van Zonneveld. He gave a seminar on “New farmer training programs and the regional seed movement in the United States: examples from Hawaii.”
29 May 2018: (left to right) Professor Shuang Wu, Vice Dean of Horticulture College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, PRC visited WorldVeg HQ. Professor Wu was accompanied by researchers Ming-Jung Liu from Academia Sinica Biotechnology Center in Southern Taiwan (ASBCST) and Chih-Bin Chiang from the Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center (ABRC), Academia Sinica. They exchanged information with WorldVeg Deputy Director General – Administration and Services Yin-Fu Chang, vegetable breeders Mohamed Rakha, Sanjeet Kumar and Ruby Hsiao.
1 June 2018: Members of the ROC Control Yuan’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee in the Demonstration Garden. The 14 members were accompanied by Chung-Hsiu Hung, Director, Department of International Affairs, Council of Agriculture (COA), and officials from COA and Control Yuan.
5 June 2018: A group of seven students with two teachers and a parent from Nanke High School’s Advanced Placement Environment Science class (equivalent to college-level courses) met WorldVeg entomology researcher Mei-ying Lin to tour the insectary, genebank researcher Yung-Kuang Huang to tour the genebank, and Vegetable Grafting Scientist Ravishankar Manickam, who demonstrated vegetable grafting.
13 April 2018: International students from 7 countries and 14 Taiwanese students led by Assistant Professor Chifumi Takagi from the International Master Program of Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University in the Demonstration Garden.
20 April 2018: An 89-member delegation of the International Friends of Chiang Society, Tainan, Taiwan led by Chiang Hsu (left), establisher of the Society, visited WorldVeg HQ. The group was briefed by Deputy Director General – Administration and Services Yin-Fu Chang.
25 April 2018: A 20-person delegation from Pangkat Kaunlaran Para sa Bayan Inc., the Philippines, visited WorldVeg HQ. The organization focuses on the promotion of agriculture to the Filipino people. They were briefed by Maureen Mecozzi, WorldVeg Director of Communications and toured the Genebank and the Vegetable Demonstration Garden.
1-9 May 2018: Two faculty members and six PhD students from the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, India visited WorldVeg HQ. Drs. Indiresh K. M and N. Basavaraja gave a joint seminar on “Academic and Research Profile of University of Horticultural Sciences (UHS), Bagalkot, India.” (left to right): PhD students Supriya Suresh Patil, Kavita S. Pujari, Thilak J. Chandrashekaraiah, University of Horticultural Sciences Faculty members – Nirthadi Basavaraja, and K. M. Indiresh, and PhD students Prashant Ramachandra Naik, Shwetha Anand, and Deppa Adiveppa Holer, University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, India.
10 May 2018: (left to right): Scientists Eun-Young Oh, Sung-Up Kim, Jungin Kim, and Peanut Breeder Suk-Bok Pae from Upland Crop Breeding Division, Department of Southern Area Crop Science, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea in the WorldVeg genebank.
21 May 2018: 60 students led by Professor Chia-Chi Wu and a teacher from Department of Horticulture, National I-lan University (NIU), Taiwan visited WorldVeg HQ.
30 May 2018: A delegation of 17 faculty members of the Agriculture and Disaster Risk Management programs from Central Bicol State University, the Philippines visited WorldVeg HQ.
5 June 2018: Professor Eric Bishop von Wettberg, Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Science, University of Vermont, USA held discussions with WorldVeg genebank researcher Tien-hor Wu, pepper breeders Sanjeet Kumar and Derek Barchenger, and plant virologist Lawrence Kenyon. Dr. von Wettberg gave a seminar on “Feeding new friends: using an understanding of how domestication altered symbioses and plant architecture to create crops with increase climatic resilience.”
14 June 2018: Dr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director General of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI), Vietnam, met with WorldVeg Director General Marco Wopereis and Worldveg staff to discuss collaborative research projects.
