Susan Henry continues Asia tour; signs agreement with Los Baños

On Feb. 1, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Dean Susan Henry signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of the Philippines-Los Banos (UPLB). Seated in front are, from left: UPLB Vice Chancellor Augusto C. Sumalde and Henry; in back, from left, are Professor Ronnie Coffman, CALS' director of international programs, UPLB College of Agriculture Dean Candida B. Adalla and UPLB Vice Chancellor Ernesto V. Carpio. Provided

By Linda McCandless

LOS BAñOS, PHILIPPINES -- Susan A. Henry, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell, continued her monthlong trip in Asia by signing a memorandum of understanding with Dr. Augusto C. Sumalde, vice chancellor for research and extension at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB), on Feb. 1.

"This agreement will facilitate the exchange of students, faculty and technology and the joint development of new answers to serious challenges in the realms of food security, nutrition and environmental protection," said Henry. "Our renewed partnership with the University of the Philippines is destined to be of great benefit to both of our universities as we seek to advance our missions over the next several years."

It is Henry's second memorandum of understanding of the trip. The first was with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India, on Jan. 11.

While in the Philippines, Henry gave a presentation on "Genomic Approaches to Gene Regulation, Signal Transduction and Metabolism in Yeast." She also visited scientists at the International Rice Institute (IRRI) with whom CALS' faculty have several projects in rice breeding and genomics.

Cornell has longstanding relationships with the UPLB. In the first of two major projects that extended from 1952 to 1972, Cornell helped Filipinos rebuild the College of Agriculture, which was nearly destroyed during World War II. The second project, funded by the Ford Foundation from 1963 to 1972, focused on graduate education of American, Filipino and other Asian students. IRRI was established in Los Baños in 1960, and collaborative educational and research programs between the two institutions developed.

In addition to projects with UPLB, CALS' largest involvement in the Philippines is with the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II), an extensive public-private partnership focused on applying agricultural biotechnology to problems that limit food crop production. Projects include developing eggplant with resistance to fruit-and-shoot borers, papaya that is resistant to papaya ring spot virus and a multiple-virus-resistant tomato. Other CALS activities in the Philippines include the Community-Based Watershed Management Support Project, a partnership led by Leyte State University and the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development (CIIFAD). Mann Library and CIIFAD also collaborate with the Philippine Department of Agriculture on the Essential Electronic Agricultural Library.

During her trip to Asia, Henry traveled to India, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines. She explored university collaborations and partnerships, visited alumni, talked with current and prospective students, and celebrated the college's 80 years of accomplishment with partners in Asia.

"Scientists from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have taken a leading role in making Cornell a global land-grant university for over 80 years," said Henry. "Using traditional plant breeding techniques and cutting-edge genomics, we have worked with scientists around the world to improve nearly all of the world's important food crops, particularly rice. We have improved yields, boosted nutritional content, improved environmental tolerances and increased resistance to diseases and pests."

Ronnie Coffman, the director of International Programs at CALS and chairman of the plant breeding department, joined Henry on the India and Philippines portion of the trip. In Hong Kong and the Philippines, she also was accompanied by Catheryn Obern, director of international affairs.