The Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, welcomed the Taiwan International Cooperation & Development Fund (ICDF) team, led by Dennis Hsiang Tai Kao, as Leader of the Taiwan Technical Mission in Indonesia, for a Technical Meeting to strengthen collaboration between the Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, and the Taiwan ICDF for corn seed development. The discussion took place on the 2nd floor of the Faculty’s Assembly Room on Wednesday (10/15).
The Taiwan ICDF delegation consisted of Chan Wei Hsin (Head of Technical Cooperation Department), Lin Yu Yu (Assistant Project Manager, Taiwan ICDF), Lao Yi Lun (Section Chief, Plant Breeding and Propagation Station, Ministry of Agriculture), Wang Dan Shan (Secretary General, Taiwan Cold Chain Association), Lin Wei Chen (Chief Executive Officer, Foodture in Motion Foundation), and Hu Chin Min (Project Manager, Foodture in Motion Foundation). Also present were representatives from the Bureau of Foreign Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia (Dr. Markwin Hasahatan, Wahyudi Tricaksono, and Irene Lamria) as well as representatives of partners of the Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, who joined via zoom meeting.
In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc., the Chancellor of Unhas, welcomed ICDF’s return to the Unhas campus, particularly with the aim of continuing the previously successful collaboration.
“We sincerely hope that our collaborative relationship with ICDF will continue to produce various high-quality food innovations, especially those that have a positive impact on society,” said Prof. JJ.
He continued, explaining that Jagung Jago Unhas (JJ UH), which has produced six varieties to date, deserves to be recognized on the broader international stage. Although JJ UH varieties have been exported to other countries, a more robust platform could empower JJ UH to continue developing and producing further varieties.
“With today’s discussion with partners, researchers, and experts from Unhas, we hope to create an extraordinary collaboration,” he continued.
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, Prof. Dr. Ir. Rismaneswati, S.P., M.P., stated that during their six-year collaboration, Hasanuddin University and ICDF have produced high-quality rice seeds in South Sulawesi. Continuing discussions on developing superior corn seeds is highly feasible.
“We are proud to say that Unhas has successfully created 6 varieties of JJ UH, so we believe that by combining the extensive experience of ICDF with experts from Unhas, we can conduct more in-depth research,” said Prof. Risma.
Meanwhile, according to Dennis Kao, the experience of working with Unhas felt comfortable and no longer required an adaptation process, especially since the previous collaboration was very satisfying.
“Unhas and South Sulawesi feel very familiar to us. There’s still a lot of potential to be explored, so we’re optimistic about further collaboration,” he explained