September2018 NUI Galway Sign Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam National University of Agriculture

The MOU establishes research and education alliance with the Vietnam National University of Agriculture on climate resilient agriculture and food systems

The Plant & AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC) within NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute recently hosted a visiting delegation from the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) to develop a research and education partnership between the two universities. During the visit a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh and Professor Nguyen Tat Canh, Vice-President of VNUA.

Professor Charles Spillane, Director of the Ryan Institute, highlighted that: “The agriculture and food systems of Ireland and Vietnam both face mounting challenges due to climate change and adverse weather events. On a global level, for the third year in a row the number of undernourished people (i.e. those facing chronic food deprivation), has risen - increasing to nearly 821 million in 2017, from around 804 million in 2016. Gains over recent decades in reducing levels of food insecurity are now being set back by adverse climate events in many regions of the world. The development of climate-resilient agriculture and food systems will require multi-disciplinary research to generate climate-smart innovations that will need to be deployed at scale in all countries.”

To help address such challenges, the Ryan Institute’s Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC) has established a research, innovation and education alliance with VNUA on the theme of ‘Climate Resilient Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Systems for Sustainable Development’. The partnership will involve student/researcher exchanges and collaborative NUI Galway/VNUA research and innovation activities.  The bilateral cooperation between the two universities is funded by the Vietnam Ireland Bilateral Education  Exchange (VIBE) Programme run by the Irish Embassy in Hanoi through the Irish Aid programme.

Five NUI Galway students from its award winning Masters in Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (MScCCAFS) degree have been conducting research in Vietnam over the past two years, working closely with the global CCAFS program (ccafs.cgiar.org) and national partners such as VNUA. The NUI Galway MScCCAFS research has been contributing knowledge and innovations for development of more climate resilient agriculture and food systems in Vietnam and SouthEast Asia.

During their visit, the VNUA delegation, along with Ryan Institute Principal Investigators and the MScCCAFS students, participated in the Irish Aid public consultation for Ireland’s new international development policy. At the public consultation, the VNUA Delegation met with Ciaran Cannon, Minister for the Diaspora and International Development.

A reciprocal partnership building visit by experts from the NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute to VNUA is planned, which will include a joint VNUA-NUI Galway Workshop on Climate Resilient Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Systems for Sustainable Development in Hanoi on World Food Day on Tuesday, 16 October. The joint workshop will involve participants from NUI Galway, VNUA, Irish Aid, the global CCAFS program, CIAT Vietnam and Vietnamese ministry representatives.

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