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MANILA: Amidst the mega million-peso scandals in my country the Philippines, early this New Year I'm avidly reading the press release that says, "CGIAR doubles funding to $1 billion in five years," that is, from $500 million in 2008 to $1 billion in 2013 (17 December 2013,  cgiar.org ). How huge is that amount? Mammoth. If I earned $10 million a year, it will take me 100 years to earn that total! I've for the last 7 years been interested in CGIAR because my favorite ICRISAT is part of it.  CGIAR , as it prefers to call itself now, is the old  Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research  that was   based in Washington DC. Having reinvented itself from a consultative group to a proactive body, I understand CGIAR is now based at its new headquarters in Montpellier, France at the campus of Agropolis International. From liberal Washington to Roman Catholic France, I Catholic think that's a good sign; it's like  Science getting closer to the Church . T

MANILA: Amidst the mega million-peso scandals in my country the Philippines, early this New Year I'm avidly reading the press release that says, "CGIAR doubles funding to $1 billion in five years," that is, from $500 million in 2008 to $1 billion in 2013 (17 December 2013,  cgiar.org ). How huge is that amount? Mammoth. If I earned $10 million a year, it will take me 100 years to earn that total! I've for the last 7 years been interested in CGIAR because my favorite ICRISAT is part of it.  CGIAR , as it prefers to call itself now, is the old  Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research  that was   based in Washington DC. Having reinvented itself from a consultative group to a proactive body, I understand CGIAR is now based at its new headquarters in Montpellier, France at the campus of Agropolis International. From liberal Washington to Roman Catholic France, I Catholic think that's a good sign; it's like  Science getting closer to the Churc

MANILA: Smile – and then goodbye to all that? I'm not applying but I'm a wide reader, so I've been immersed in a pdf from icrisat.org, filename  DG-Advertisement-Nov-2013,  ICRISAT's ad for its next Director General, its title being "OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AN IMPORTANT GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION AS  Director General ." This story starts 14 years ago actually. The pdf says, "The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is currently seeking a new Director General to succeed the retiring incumbent." The Institute is looking for "a PhD in a field related to agricultural research for development." A new science leader in the pursuit of science for people. Science with a human face. The incumbent is  William Dollente Dar , PhD, a Filipino, who became ICRISAT's DG on 01 January 2000 and is retiring 15 years later, on 01 January 2015, exactly 365 days from today, so why announce it now?

MANILA: The consortium called the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is in the semi-arid tropics where there is persistent poverty in the soils and among the villagers (original photo from CGIAR images,  flickr.com ). Is that good news or bad news? (1) First, I bring you  glad  tidings! Look at the trees in the drylands. According to a press release, the global funding for the CGIAR doubled from US$ 500 M in 2008 to $1 B in 2013 ( icrisat.org ). My favorite ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, as are 14 other research centers: Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, Center for International Forestry Research, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, International Food Policy Research Institute, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, International Livestock Research Institute, International Rice Research Institute,