A group of 14 second-year students from the Department of International Development Studies, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University visited JIRCAS on February 13, 2020 as part of the spring training to broaden their understanding of international research on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and to help them determine the themes of seminars for the next academic year.

First, the students were given an overview of JIRCAS research activities. Then Dr. KOSUGI Akihiko, Project Leader of the JIRCAS Asia biomass project, introduced the research trends on global decarbonization and sustainable use of biomass resources in Southeast Asia. After the lecture, the students visited a greenhouse facility to learn about the environmental impact of leaving old oil palm trees in plantations.

Dr. Marcy Wilder, Senior Researcher in the Fisheries Division, also gave a presentation on the current status and issues of the shrimp aquaculture industry, research on indoor shrimp production systems (ISPS) through industry-academia-government collaboration, and an overview of shrimp production plant in Niigata Prefecture. After the lecture, the students had a guided tour of the shrimp breeding facility.

The visit was also aimed at providing the students with an opportunity to gain better understanding and insights into the challenges of enhancing productivity in developing countries in line with JIRCAS mission.