On 21 July 2016, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), paid a courtesy visit to the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting that happened for the first time, initiated at the GCARD 3 global conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, which took place in April 2016. Dr. Raghunath Ghodake, Executive Secretary, APAARI, and his team, welcomed Dr. Yemi in the APAARI office in Bangkok and facilitated an enriching exchange.
The three-hour session started with Dr. Ghodake’s presentation that provided an introductory overview of APAARI’s history, achievements, activities and this year’s work on strategic planning. The discussion that followed focused on areas of possible collaboration between the two regions. Dr. Yemi highlighted FARA’s activities, particularly its three programmes – Climate Smart Agriculture, UniBRAIN and the Platform for African European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD), as well as future projects. Through the visit, FARA as a Reciprocal Member of APAARI, came even closer to APAARI. Both organizations are looking forward to further explore the partnership opportunities that were discussed in the Bangkok meeting.
