ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.org
21 June 2007
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Capacity Building in Afghanistan
ICARDA has trained over 2000 Afghans over the last 5 years with support from USAID, DfID and IDRC. These efforts have been further strengthened with Purdue University, USA, joining as a partner.
Senior faculty members from Afghan universities attended a training course at ICARDA headquarters, 1-27 April.

Training opportunity for University faculty
As part of these efforts, ICARDA, in collaboration with Purdue University, organized a 4-week (1-27 April) hands-on refresher program on introduction to ICARDA's research activities for senior Afghan officials at the Center's headquarters. The course, funded by Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education, was attended by 15 faculty members and managers from 11 Afghan universities - Al-Biruni, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamiyan, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Nangargarh, Pakhtia and Takhar. The Program, entitled 'An introduction to agricultural production practices for research and demonstration' covered basic farm operations, cereal/legume production and improvement, seed production, IPM of Sunn Pest, and water harvesting/management, through a combination of lectures, on-station field work, and tours to different areas in Syria. The group included senior faculty members such as Prof. Mohammad Akbar Popal, former President of Kabul University, Prof. Muhsen Shah Fallah, Vice President of Nangarhar University, and Prof. Sayed Kabir Mein, Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Kandahar University.

ICARDA has received several letters of appreciation for the course. Prof. Omaid, Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Herat University, wrote to ICARDA, commending the Center's capacity building efforts. He also sought ICARDA's assistance in several areas: training, on-line publishing, and establishment of a farm and an IPM laboratory for research and teaching.

IDRC-funded training workshop
ICARDA was host to 25 agricultural professionals who attended the first of three IDRC-funded workshops for 'Capacity building of Afghan researchers' (Tel Hadya, 25-31 May). The participants were from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Afghan universities, and NGO implementation partners in the RALF program (supported by DfID). They came from Kabul as well as Badakhshan, Balkh, Helmand, Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces. Most importantly, there were eight women participants, including two from Helmand province.

The workshop covered four broad areas: sustainable livelihoods analysis; social and gender analysis; participatory research; and multidisciplinary research.
Participants of the IDRC-funded training workshop, 'Capacity building of Afghan researchers,' held at ICARDA, 24-31 May.

Dr William Erskine, ADG-Research; Dr Ahmed Sidahmed, Director/Acting Director, DSIPS Program and Acting Head, TCU; Dr Najib Malik, RALF Program Manager; and Dr Lamia El-Fattal of IDRC distributed certificates to participants on successful completion of the course. Dr Erskine acknowledged the assistance from the International Development Research Center, in planning and funding the training. Dr Sidahmed noted the opportunities for further expanding collaborative research in Afghanistan, building on this course and ongoing related activities. He also stressed the need for continuing feedback from participants, on how they apply the knowledge gained during the training.
Participants of the training workshop included eight women from different provinces in Afghanistan.

A formal course evaluation was conducted, with very positive feedback. "The course was very useful," said Mrs Fawzia Kaker of DACAAR, speaking on behalf of the women participants. "The content was challenging, but we gained valuable insights into research methods and other aspects, which will be useful as we implement further work in Afghanistan."
  

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.

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