News Archive

Our University has always taken our mission of serving the community very seriously. Almost a century ago, that community was largely local - the people of Western Australia.

However, as we near our centenary, our mission is continuing to broaden to include more of the global community. This is evidenced by the fact that we are collaborating with individual universities and university networks around the world. Through these partnerships, we are dedicated to making significant advances in knowledge and understanding in areas of global concern, bringing together the experience, equipment and expertise necessary to tackle the big issues facing societies, governments, corporations and education.

In a timely development, a delegation from our University - including Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique, Director of our Institute of Agriculture - is visiting Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) in south-western India to launch KAU's new Master of Science course in Climate Change Adaptation, building on a formal relationship established last year.

We are only too aware that millions of people in neighbouring Pakistan are currently facing one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in history, brought on by the devastating August floods. Regions in India are also affected by floods.

In Russia, by contrast, people have recently been battling wild fires and drought, leading to an estimated loss of up to 30 per cent of cereal crops. Parts of China and Europe have also been severely affected by disastrous weather. Canada is experiencing harvest damages due to unusual wet conditions. And in Australia, too, we face climate change, with more frequent droughts, high temperatures and bush fires.

These catastrophic events highlight the fact that the problem of feeding the world is becoming more urgent - and universities around the world are stepping up to meet the challenge.

Half of the population of more than 30 million people in the State of Kerala depend on agriculture, including rice, coconut, tea, coffee, rubber and spices. KAU's aim is to enhance agricultural development and the livelihood of agricultural communities through education and research.

KAU was established in 1971 and is ranked in the first three of India's 57 agricultural universities. And UWA's high international standing in life and agriculture sciences is reflected in our University having been ranked 34th in the world by the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities this year - the highest ranking of any Australian university.

We look forward to collaborating with KAU to find strategies by which farmers and people around the world can adapt to these immense challenges.

Since our establishment, our University has supported agricultural industries across our State, and our nation, and - increasingly - we are supporting international efforts through significant research programs and the training of the agricultural professionals of the future.

Vice-Chancellor Alan Robson

• UWA News 6 September 2010