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Wednesday, 16 May 2012

A leading agricultural scientist and academic whose mission is to ‘feed the world' has been named The University of Western Australia's prestigious Hackett Professor of Agriculture Chair.

Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique is Director of UWA's Institute of Agriculture and Associate Dean Research at the University's Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in last year's Queen's Birthday Honours List for his lifetime's work in advancing agricultural science as an academic and researcher in crop improvement and agronomy, and through contributions to professional associations.

Professor Siddique takes over the Hackett Professor of Agriculture Chair from Professor Alan Robson who relinquished it when he retired as UWA Vice-Chancellor last year.

Current UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson said the prestigious Chair was offered as formal recognition of Professor Siddique's outstanding leadership in agricultural education and research over the years.

"It is also offered as an expression of thanks for his collegiality and the tireless work Professor Siddique has done in promoting the University and the Faculty at regional, national and international levels," Professor Johnson said.

Professor Siddique has 27 years' experience in agricultural research, teaching and management in Australia and overseas.  He has developed a national and international reputation in crop physiology, production agronomy, farming system, genetic resources, and breeding research in cereal, grain and pasture legumes and oilseed crops.

His pioneering research on chickpeas contributed to Australia's chickpea industry growing to be worth $300 million a year.

Professor Siddique has published more than 200 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters and is on the editorial board of a number of international scientific journals.  He has trained many MSc and PhD students and is a visiting professor in several overseas universities.

He has developed an extensive network of scientists in Australia and Europe and in countries including China, India, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Malaysia, East Timor, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada and the USA.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique (UWA Institute of Agriculture)  (+61 8)  6488 7012
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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