Young Japanese Researchers Benefit from Japan-CGIAR Fellowship Program

The new Japan-CGIAR Fellowship Program is off to a flying start. Eleven Fellows were selected and have been spending between 6–8 weeks each at CGIAR Centers, gaining valuable research experience in real world settings. Launched in 2004, this knowledge-sharing activity is supported by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and administered by JIRCAS.

“This program was extremely successful for me because I could have fruitful discussions with scientists who have abundant experiences in dryland agriculture,” said Tomoe Inoue, Fellow, who successfully completed a research project at ICARDA. Fellows were most appreciative of the support and hospitality extended to them by Center staff, and in their completion reports, Fellows felt that the opportunities to interact with local people and farmers were priceless.

Building on this success, the 2005 Japan-CGIAR Fellowship Program has been launched. Ten Fellows will be selected to conduct research at CGIAR Centers, another example of the strong and mutually-beneficial partnership CGIAR enjoys with Japan.