The Prime Minister of Malaysia officially launching CFFRC on 27 June 2011

On 27 June 2011, The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, officially launched CFFRC during a ceremony at the Royale Chulan Hotel, in Kuala Lumpur, on the occasion of the Second International Symposium on Underutilised Plant Species. CFFRC is a new research center located in Semenyih, adjacent to the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, about a 45 minute drive south of Kuala Lumpur. Established as a company limited by guarantee and without shareholders under Malaysian law, the new centre, which is exclusively dedicated to research and development of neglected and underutilised plant species, is the largest of its kind. It represents an investment by the Government of Malaysia to the tune of some US$ 40 million covering the construction of the centre and its operation for the first 7 years, after which the centre should become self-sustaining.

Is the new CFFRC a competitor for CFF? Not at all! Rather, it will operate within the mandate and under the strategic direction of Crops for the Future (CFF) and thus support CFF’s agenda.

CFFRC and CFF are separate legal entities, but will closely coordinate their work. CFF will continue to focus on its role as an information platform and international facilitator, but will be locally strengthened through the brain power and opportunities of a research centre, whose principal mission is to remove the supply and use constraints limiting the role of so many underutilised crops. We are particularly pleased about the intent of CFFRC to place its research in a value chain context, suggesting that demand pull rather than supply push is the way forward.

We congratulate the Government of  Malaysia for its vision and commitment to support the diversification of agriculture through greater crop diversity, in Malaysia and beyond.

The International Foundation for Science (IFS), Bioversity International, RUFORUM, and the Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Ghana, will conduct a training workshop on Research Design and Data Analysis with focus on underutilized crops research. The course will be held in Accra, Ghana on 25-29th July, 2011.
Young scientists from Benin, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal are hereby invited to submit a Research Note and apply for participation in this training course.
Applicants eligible for this call should:

• Be citizens of Benin, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria or Senegal
• Be national scientists attached to a university, research institution or a research oriented and not-for-profit NGO
• Be under 40 years of age
• Have at least a Master’s or equivalent degree
• Be involved in research on regional priority NUS species
• We particularly welcome applications from female scientists

Read the detailed document, including information on the priority research themes and species for NUS research and the application form, on the IFS website:

Detailed document:
http://www.ifs.se/Programme/Call_NUS_ResearchDesign_Ghana2011.pdf

Application form:
http://www.ifs.se/Programme/ApplicationForm_NUS_ResearchDesign_Ghana2011.doc

Your Application must contain:

• the completed Application Form
• a full CV

Send your Application by email to:
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Deadline:          27th May, 2011

We are pleased to inform you that the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus in collaboration with the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) with support from the ISHS Working Group on Underutilised Plant Genetic Resources, the ISHS Commission on Plant Genetic Resources and the ISHS Section on Tropical and Sub-Tropical Fruits is organising the above symposium.

The University of Nottingham  Malaysia Campus together with the Asia Pacific Oceania Office of Bioversity International, hosts the global Crops for the Future Centre in Malaysia. The symposium is co-convened and supported by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI).

Attached please find the second circular which I hope you will be able to circulate to interested parties.  For more details please visit our website by following the link below

• Symposium’ second announcement
• Registration details
• Abstract submission

ENQUIRIES AND CORRESPONDENCE
Secretariat: Underutilised Plants Symposium 2011
Crops for the Future – beyond food security
The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia
Tel: +6 (03) 8924 8218
Fax: +6 (03) 8924 8018
Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Symposium website: http://www.cffsymposium2011.org