Keynote Speech
Takashi SHIRAISHI majored in international relations at the Univesity of Tokyo and obtained Ph.D.
in History from Cornell University. He has taught at the University of Tokyo, Cornell University,
Kyoto University and National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. He serves as President,
Institute of Developing Economies-JETRO and Executive Member, Council for Science and
Technology Policy, Cabinet Office. In 2007, he was awarded the Japanese Medal of Honor with Purple
Ribbon.
Session 1
Masa IWANAGA has served as the Director General of the NationalInstitute of Crop Science since
April, 2008. Located in Tsukuba, Japan, theNational Institute of Crop Science is an institute of the
NationalAgriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).
Prior to serving with the National Institute of Crop Science, Mr. Iwanagawas the Director
General of the International Maize and Wheat ImprovementCenter (CIMMYT) in Mexico and also
served as the Director of the BiologicalResources Division of the Japanese International Research
Center forAgricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in Tsukuba, Japan. He also served as theDeputy Director
General for Programs with the International Plant GeneticResources Institute (IPGRI, now renamed
Bioversity) in Rome and lead theGenetic Resources Unit for the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture(CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. Moreover, Mr. Iwanaga was engaged in potatoresearch for 10
years with International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru. Dr. Iwanaga received a Bachelors of Science
degree in horticulture from theUniversity of Osaka Prefecture in Japan, and a Masters of Science
degree inagricultural biology from Kyoto University. In 1979 he received his Ph.D.in plant breeding
and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin, USA.
Ram Badan SINGH holds a Doctorate degree in Genetics from the North Carolina State University,
Raleigh (USA) and is a Distinguished Professor of IFFCO Foundation, India. His expertise is in the
area of genetics, biotechnology and agricultural policy. He worked as the Asst. Director-General of
FAO and in India as Member of National Commission on Farmers, Chairman of Agricultural
Scientists Recruitment Board, and Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
Ganesan BALACHANDER holds a doctorate degree in Ecology from Rutgers University (USA) and
did post doctoral studies at Harvard. He also has an MBA degree from Carnegie-Mellon University
(USA) and an M.S degree in Physics from IIT, India. He has had a dual career in corporate and
international banking and later in conservation and sustainable development around the world. He
served until recently as the Ford Foundation Representative for South Asia and is now a CGIAR
Consortium Board member.

Osamu KOYAMA graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts, University of Tokyo in 1979, and
joined the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. From 1986 to 1993, he served as an
Econometrician at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome. His expertise is in the area of
food supply and demand analyses. Currently, he is the Director of the Research Strategy Office,
JIRCAS. Also, he serves as a Lecturer at the University of Tokyo.
Session 2
Akio TAKENAKA holds a Doctorate degree in Agriculture from the University of Tokyo (Japan).
His expertise is in the area of ruminant livestock nutrition especially about the rumen microbiology.
He had worked at the National Institute for Livestock and Grassland Science (NILGS), and at the
University of Tsukuba as a Professor of Cooperative Graduate School. Currently, he is the Director of
Animal Production and Grassland Division in Japan International Research Center for Agricultural
Sciences (JIRCAS).
Christian HOSTE is Engineer in agriculture (Lille, France), holds a Ph.D. in Animal Genetics
(Leuven, Belgium) and a French State Doctorate in Natural Sciences (Paris, France). His experience
includes 17 years on livestock research and development in sub-Saharan Africa and 18 years in
agricultural research organization and management. He is Deputy Director of European and
International Relations of CIRAD, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International
Development and Deputy Director of Agreenium, the new French consortium for Research and
Education in Agriculture, Food, Animal Health, and the Environment.
Junkyu HAN holds a Doctorate degree in Agriculture from the University of Tsukuba (Japan) and is a
Assistant Professor of University of Tsukuba, Japan. His expertise is evaluation of functional
molecules in resource.
Nick AUSTIN holds Bachelor and Doctorate Degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the University
of Melbourne (Australia) and a Masters in Management from the University of Sydney (Australia).
His expertise is in irrigation and he has a broad background in agricultural and natural resource
research and policy. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Session 3
Masami YASUNAKA holds a Doctorate degree in Agriculture from Kyushu University (Japan) and
is the current Vice President of JIRCAS. His basic expertise is earthquake-resistant design of earth
structures. He had been engaged in governmental planning work in agricultural research in MAFF
before coming to JIRCAS.
Kazumi YAMAOKA graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1982, holdiong a Doctorate degree
in Agriculture from it. His expertise is in the area of rural engineering and water management. He
worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, at the Embassy of Japan in the
Netherlands as First Secretary, at Yamaguchi Prefectural Government as Director, at the Japanese
Institute of Irrigation and Drainage as Director, at the University of Tokyo as Professor of Graduate
School of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Currently, he is Research Coordinator of JIRCAS.
Ryotaro SUZUKI graduated University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law, in 1985 and joined the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in the same year. He also obtained LL.M., International Law from University of
Cambridge in 1988. He served as diplomat in Lagos, Nigeria 1988-2000, in Yangon, Myanmar 1996-
1998, in Vienna, Austria 1998-2001, in Ottawa, Canada 2001-2002. His areas of expertise include
development assistance, arms control and disarmament, information and culture, politics, economy
and natural resources management. He attended many international meetings and events in various
official capacities, which include his service as Alternate Commissioner for Japan at International
Whaling Commission 2006-2008. He was seconded to MAFF in 2008 as Director, International
Research Division, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council Secretariat (present post)??
Shuichi ASANUMA
A Professor of International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Education (ICCAE), Nagoya
University. He worked on rhizobium as a post-doctoral fellow at the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria from 1979 to 1983. Served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture,
Kyushu Tokai University for 3 years then as a soil microbiologist at the Hokkaido National
Agricultural Experiment Station and Kyushu National Agricultural Experiment Station, he moved to
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in 1998 to serve as an
International Research Coordinator, a head of research planning section and a director of JIRCAS
Okinawa Subtropical Station. He joined ICCAE in April 2005.
Satoru MIYATA is a senior researcher by special appointment at Japan International Research Center
for Agricultural Sciences Headquarters. His main task is to develop a network of agricultural research
institutes universities for international agricultural research in Japan. His specialty is plant sciences
and agronomy and had worked as a regional research coordinator for Southeast Asia and Project
leader for a tropical soil management project in Bangkok for 5 years.

Sim HEOK-CHOH, joined FRIM as researcher officer in 1977. Was active in forest products
research with major project involvements in rubberwood processing and utilization, sawmill
productivity, wood machining and wood products manufacturing. Currently he is a senior researcher,
and also the Executive Secretary of the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions
(APAFRI).
Panel Discuttion
Masami YASUNAKA
(See profile under Session 3)
Kazumi YAMAOKA
(See profile under Session 3)
Ryotaro SUZUKI
(See profile under Session 3)
Shuichi ASANUMA
(See profile under Session 3)
Satoru MIYATA
(See profile under Session 3)
Sim HEOK-CHOH,
(See profile under Session 3)
Hiroshi EHARA, Ph.D., Professor of Crop Ecophysiology, Graduate School of Bioresources (2007 ?
); Assistant to the President for International Affairs (2008 ?), Mie University. Project Director,
“Integrated Strategic-Project on Sustainable Production of Sago Starch and Its Utilization for
Strengthening Food Security” (2010 ? 2012) supported by “Global Scale Issue-oriented International

Research Network Project” of Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery.Academic
Award of Japanese Society for Tropical Agriculture, “Systematics and Ecophysiological
Characteristics of Sago Palm” (2008).
Kazuyuki YAGI is a Research Coordinator, the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences
(NIAES), Tsukuba, Japan,The task of his position is to coordinate research activities of the Institute,
in particular for international cooperation and climate change studies,He has been studying on
emissions of greenhouse gases in association with different land use and agricultural management.
Moriyoshi ISHIZUKA Principal Research Coordinator (International Issues)Forestry and Forest
Products Research Institute (FFPRI)Resaeech Field: Forest Ecology, Silviculture1981-91 JICA*
Expert(Silviculture), Royal Forest Department of Thailand1992-99 Chief, Plant Production Laboratory,
FFPRI2010-13 Principal Investigator, JST**-JICA Project "Carbon Dynamics ofAmazonian Forests"
* Japan International Cooperation Agency; ** Japan Science & Technology Agency