Davis, California, USA
September 29, 2011

The University of California, Davis, is launching the Asian Plant Breeding Academy(SM) (PBA) in 2012 in cooperation with Asia & Pacific Seed Association (APSA). The Asian PBA is modeled on the highly successful North American and European PBA programs. The first five sessions will be rotated among three plant breeding centers in Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen. The last session of this 2-year program and graduation will take place in Davis, California. Experts from Asia, North America, Europe and Australia will be invited to join UC Davis instructors in delivering the program.

“We have had participants from Asian countries in our existing PBA programs. We are now making it easier for breeders in this part of the world to receive this advanced professional education. We are also very glad for the opportunity to highlight the plant breeding expertise in the region in cooperation with APSA” – says Kent Bradford, Director of UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center.

APSA President, Dr. Ruiquing Huang, notes that – “Plant breeding is considered one of the key components in tackling current and future problems in food supply. Like in the rest of the world, Asia also faces a shortage of trained plant breeders. APSA Executive Committee is pleased to bring the Plant Breeding Academy to its members and the region.”

The first session is planned for July 2012 in Bangkok. More details of the session dates and locations will be available shortly. APSA and UC Davis PBA will have information sessions at the upcoming Asian Seed Congress, November 14-18, Pattaya, Thailand.

Plant Breeding Academy(SM) is a postgraduate program that teaches the fundamentals of plant breeding, genetics and statistics through lectures, discussion, hands-on exercises and field trips to public and private breeding programs. Employers appreciate the opportunity to provide their valued employees advanced training without disrupting their full-time employment. Participants attend six 6-day sessions over the period of two years. The instructors are internationally recognized experts in plant breeding and seed technology.

For more information on the Plant Breeding Academy, visit pba.ucdavis.edu.
For more information on APSA, visit www.apsaseed.org.
 

Website: http://sbc.ucdavis.edu

Published: September 29, 2011