New Southbound Policy Portal

Academia Sinica President James C. Liao (front, sixth left), COA Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute Director General Chen Junne-jih (front, fourth left) and other local and overseas participants are all smiles at the International Seminar on Conservation and Prospecting of Bioresources in the Asia-Pacific Region Dec. 18 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of COA)

The International Seminar on Conservation and Prospecting of Bioresources in the Asia-Pacific Region kicked off Dec. 18 in Taipei City, bringing together almost 200 experts from 17 countries to discuss the latest developments in related research and policymaking.
 
Running through Dec. 20, the event is jointly organized by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Academia Sinica’s Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center in conjunction with Thailand-based Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions.
 
Attendees include overseas scholars, officials and business representatives from several New Southbound Policy target nations such as India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Among the topics under discussion are application, commercialization and regulation practices in such fields as animal husbandry, disease control, forest conservation, fisheries and genetic engineering.
 
According to the COA, the event provides a platform for Taiwan to share its expertise in agricultural biotechnology and sustainable farming with participating countries, while also raising the nation’s profile in the global arena.
 
At the conclusion of the conference, participants will tour the COA’s Tea Research and Extension Station in Taoyuan City and the Agricultural Technology Research Institute in Hsinchu City, both in northern Taiwan.
 
Taiwan has been a member of APAARI since 1999. The 20-country association is dedicated to promoting cross-border partnerships for food safety and natural resources preservation in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (KWS-E)