India’s Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Visits UIUC
India’s Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation Prabeer Kumar Basu visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, to learn about current research activities in agriculture, specifically in biotechnology, and how the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) effectively delivers innovative technologies to industry and end users.
Mr. Basu had previously participated in a symposium on “Opportunities for Innovations in Indian Agriculture”organized in Chicago that was co-sponsored by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Michigan State University, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Mr. Basu was a keynote speaker at this symposium along with former Chancellor Robert Easter.
During the visit to the UIUC campus, the delegation enjoyed a tour of SoyFACE and met with several members of faculty from the College of ACES including Dr. Randy Nelson; Dr. Schyler Korban, Director of the Office of International Programs; Dr. Pradeep Khanna, Executive Director, Office of Corporate Relations; and Dr. Rita Mumm, Director of the Illinois Plant Breeding Center. The delegation visited with Dr. Ravi Ayer, Vice Chancellor of Research, and Dr. Robert Hauser, Dean of the College of ACES.
Secretary Basu was traveling with a senior delegation of Indian officials including Joint Secretary Mukesh Khullar (responsible for India’s Food Security Mission) and the Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Professor Swappan Datta. Also traveling with the delegation was ACES alumni Allan Mustard, who is currently Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs India - Bangladesh - Sri Lanka at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
The Secretary and his colleagues left with a broader understanding of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research capabilities and priorities and specifically how the U.S. Department of Agriculture-ARS collaborates with farm organizations, universities, and the private sector.
After leaving UIUC, Secretary Basu traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with U.S. Under Secretary Catherine Woteki.
Photo: Basu (middle) meets with Dr. Nelson (left) and Dr. Korban (right).