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International Development Advisors |
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Building training and research standards for innovation and sustainable outcomes |
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Education
1974 – 1978 Ph.D. - Horticulture, University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago. 1971 - 1972 DTA - Diploma in Tropical Agriculture (Distinction), University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago 1970 – 1971 M.Sc., DIC - Mycology and Plant Pathology (Distinction), Diploma of Imperial College, University of London, Imperial College of Science and Technology, UK 1967 – 1970 B.Sc. - Botany (Hons), University of Bristol, UK
Language competence
English: Mother tongue French: Spoken (moderate), Written (good), Reading (good) Spanish: Spoken (basic), Written (basic), Reading (good) Portuguese: Spoken (moderate), Written (basic), Reading (moderate) Swedish: Spoken (moderate), Written (moderate); Reading (good)
Membership of professional bodies and awards:
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, UK (since 1996) International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology (1982 - 2000) Tropical Agriculture Association, UK (1984 - 1998) Professor in Plant Propagation Sciences, University of London, UK (awarded 1999)
Professional skills and competence:
Extensive global experience of international horticulture and the linkages between academic and business teams. Well versed in analytical assessment, report writing, tender presentation, project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation practices and protocol development for programmes funded by international agencies, national public sector organisations and non-governmental organizations in the domains of biological resource management, rural development, food security and environmental change resilience (adaptation).
Well-practiced in public speaking, team management, leadership and personal communication skills targeted at fund raising, institutional representation, motivating and sustaining effective collaboration between research, development and dissemination teams and ensuring effective interlinking of international support agencies and NGOs with local institutions and communities.
Lecturing, training and workshop organizational skills: trained and supervised over 80 M.Sc. and 25 Ph.D. graduates from ACP countries carrying out laboratory and field (in-country) research on tropical agroforestry, horticulture, crop genetic diversity, crop breeding as relevant to rural development and food security.
Highly experienced in use of ICT tools in planning, project cycle management and professional communications within the agricultural research and education development domains. Advanced computer handling skills in widely used software platforms including Microsoft (Windows Office 10, XP Professional and Windows 7) as well as counterparts in Macintosh environments.
Current position
Senior technical Advisor and Chief Consultant in Scientific Capacity Building, Urban and Peri-Urban Farming Systems, Rural Development, Higher Education and In-service training at Nakhlatec International Development Advisors, Sweden (April 2003 to present) providing independent specialist consultancy services for monitoring and evaluation of ongoing projects, scientific capacity building and strengthening programmes involving international agencies, universities and scientific research institutes worldwide.
In this capacity, positions with international organizations have been held concurrently:
Fund raising and fund tracking manager for a €5 million EU STABEX Programme in the Nampula and Inhambane Districts of Mozambique. As leader of M&E team, undertook field and institutional missions to monitor and evaluate tasks to improve the institutional capacities of government institutions to carry out research collectively and to effectively transfer acquired technology to farmers and local private agro-businesses (2006 – 2011). Senior Scientific Advisor in Forestry and Agroforestry to the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm (since 1991); created and administered the IFS Strategic Targeted Assistance to Researchers (STAR), a Distance Mentorship Initiative to support young African scientists working in weak academic infrastructures undertake effective research in their home countries (2004 – 2006). Scientific Consultant to Swedish Sida-SAREC, Stockholm: Evaluator of the sustainability and development impacts of forestry, agroforestry and environment research initiatives based at the African Academy of Science, Nairobi and interlinking with major universities and research institutions (including the WAC) in Sub Sahara Africa (2003 – 2007). International Expert in Higher Education to VLIR-UOS: Leader of two final evaluations of its ten-year inter-university partnership programmes between Flemish Universities and the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) and the University of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) (2007/2008) International Expert in Tertiary Education reviewing and restructuring the VLIR-UOS Inter-University Collaboration Partnership Scheme between Flanders universities and universities in Latin America, Sub Saharan Africa and SE Asia (July – December, 2011).
Technical expertise in tropical horticulture and agroforestry was made on behalf of Nakhlatec in plant biotechnology, tree nursery propagation and plant tissue culture production systems used by commercial enterprises and national agricultural organizations for clonal palms (date palm, sago palm, oil palm and coconut palm), fruit/nut trees (citrus, mango, cashew, macadamia, Uapaca, Balanites, Karya, guava, Annona, Prunus africana), nitrogen-fixing trees (Faidherbia and Acacia spp) and beverage crops (coffee, cocoa and carob). Environmental services provided include advice on climate change mediation and adaption strategies to governments and international organizations working to mediate the effects of global climate change. Advisory technical work has been conducted during this latter phase in Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, often in close collaboration with ICRAF and other CGIAR scientists.
Other previous full-time positions held
Scientific Program Coordinator in Forestry and Agroforestry, International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden administering a $750,000 individual grant scheme to young scientists based in developing countries (April, 2003 – January 2004) Full-time academic staff member University of London (Wye College), UK (September, 1983 – February, 2000) Awarded Professorial Chair in Plant Propagation Sciences at University of London in October 1999 having been previously promoted from Senior Lecturer to Reader in Horticulture (August 1994); from Lecturer A to Senior Lecturer in Horticulture (October 1989) following appointment as an AFRC-funded New Blood Lecturer in Plant Tissue Culture/ Plant Propagation (October 1983). Head of Research and Teaching of the Unit for Advanced Propagation Systems, Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, Wye College, University of London (1988 - 2000). Director of the National Fruit Collections, Brogdale on behalf of Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, UK Government (1998 – 2000).
Funds raised:
Total of US$3 million generated 1986 to 2000 for team research on plant tissue culture and plant biotechnology topics sub-vented from international development agencies, governments, universities, private foundations and commercial organizations located in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Sultanate of Oman, UK and USA:
European Union (STD1, STD2, STD3 and INCO-DC research contracts of US$85K, 280K, 100K, 130K and 100K, respectively), Overseas (Oman, Brazil and Malaysia) governments (US$700K), The World Bank (US$170K), UK Government - Natural Resources Institute (Extramural Contract of £24K) and Overseas Development Administration (US$130K), The British Council for academic links with collaborating universities in Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and Morocco (US$30K), University of London’s Central Research Fund (US$50K), Various commercial horticulture companies and horticulture foundations (US$50K). Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, UK - LINK Project (US$100K) The Rockefeller Foundation (US$70K)
Research undertaken:
Pioneer commercial micro-propagation and hydroponic systems for slow-to-propagate (and endangered) woody perennials: ornamentals such as tree paeony (Paeonia suffruticosa and Billbergia magnifica), agroforestry trees (Acacia, Eucalyptus, Faidherbia, Malus, Pyrus and Camellia), palm crops (Phoenix – date palm and Metroxylon sagu – sago palm), pigment crops (Tagetes erecta), root and tuber crops (Dioscorea, Colocasia, Solanum and Plectranthus and Ipomoea), tropical fruit and nut trees (Carica spp, Citrus spp, Pistacia spp, Anacardium spp) and fresh leaf vegetables (pak choi, lettuces, chicory). Fundamental studies on specific subcellular and biochemical events leading to adventitious root formation in woody stem cuttings and other excised plant tissues (via organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis) that lead to improvements in mass propagation, germplasm conservation and genetic transformation of tree, flower and food crop species. The aim of this research is to improve the qualities of plants raised in the nursery and to enhance the resilience of potted plants at the post-production phase during transport and retail operations. Application of molecular-based PCR diagnostics (RAPDs and AFLPs) to establish genetic relatedness between cultivars of important temperate and tropical horticultural crops, e.g. apples in the UK National Fruit Collections, cashew in Brazil, Guinea Bissau and Tanzania, pistachio in Iran and Morocco and date palm in Oman and Morocco, Faidherbia albida in Malawi, Prunus africana in Cameroon and Ethiopia. This research led also to new techniques of disease diagnostics which can locate systemic bacterial and viral pathogens and so facilitate new standards of plant quality assurance in both fresh and processed foods. Structural, biochemical and the molecular events underlying totipotency expression in single cells and multicellular tissues using combinations of transgenics. somatic hybrids and graft-synthesised chimeras of a model woody perennial, Solanum aviculare, which expresses distinct phase-linked morphotypes. Raising quality of fresh plant produce of economically important tropical tuber crops (particularly yams, sweet potato and irish potato) through improved storage, pathogen elimination (meristeming), rapid clonal propagation (axillary branching, somatic embryogenesis and microtubers) and the development of transgenics of these crops expressing antifungal and virus resistance genes.
Teaching duties:
Course Director of M.Sc. in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Horticulture and Crop Science since October 1996. Course tutor for B.Sc. Course 123 Principles of Plant Propagation on the University of London’s Horticulture degree. Strand Tutor for Plant Tissue Culture, a core course of the M.Sc. Degree in Plant Biotechnology and a major component of the World Crops Course of the M.Sc. Applied Plant Sciences and Diploma in Crop Science degrees; Strand Tutor of Plant Improvement and Plant Tissue Culture Strand 2 of the M.Sc. Degree in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Horticulture; Course Tutor of Plant Tissue Culture and Plant Production on the M.Sc. Degrees in Applied Plant Sciences and Landscape and Environmental Design Management, respectively. Lecture on “Principles of Plant Propagation” (B.Sc. Horticulture Year 1 - introductory course on plant propagation - 50 hours per annum) and on conventional and laboratory-based techniques of plant propagation applied to crop improvement via clonal selection, hybridization and genetic conservation (160 hours per annum, 80 of which are glasshouse and laboratory - based practicals). Course Organizer and Tutor of Short Course in 'Plant Tissue Culture and its Applications to Micro-propagation and Plant Biotechnology' (1987 - 1994). This course provided 3 - 6 months of laboratory-based tissue culture training to 6 - 8 overseas professional scientists per annum. Director of Studies (tutor) to 3-5 undergraduate students per annum and supervisor of 7-9 Ph.D. and 3-5 M.Sc. students per annum (1985 - 2000). Organizer and leader of three International Horticulture Study Tours to Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Spain and Portugal for undergraduate and postgraduate students in 1989, 1994, 1995 and 1997. Visiting International Lecturer on DESS and DEA courses in Plant Biotechnology and Plant Tissue Culture at Ecole National d’Ingeneurs Horticole et du Paysage and Institut National d’Horticulture, Angers, France for 1-2 weeks per annum (1990 - 2000).
Academic and General Administrative duties:
Director of the National Fruit Collections containing 4,500 fruit tree (orchard) accessions: supervision of the curatorial work of the Scientific Curator, the Postdoctoral Scientist carrying out Fruit Variety Testing, fund raising to support adequate maintenance of the collections and facilitating interactions with the Brogdale Trust who owned the field sites. Head of Research, Training and Teaching in the Unit for Advanced Propagation Systems (1988 - 2000) supporting research operations undertaken by various research groups in the period 1985 – 1996. The team consisted of 3-4 postdoctoral research staff, 4 research graduate assistants and 3 research technicians. The Unit supported 12 - 15 PhD and 4 - 5 M.Sc. student research projects per annum on both fundamental and applied research in plant propagation and plant cell and tissue culture. UAPS also hosted 2 - 4 visiting scientists (professorial and lecturer grades) per annum. Administrative duties carried out over this period covered overall organization and direction of the Unit, staff recruitment, promotion and financial control of the Unit's research budgets (contracts with a value of US$250+K per annum during the period 1988 - 1996).
Institutional Committee work:
Membership of the following University of London (Wye College) Academic Management Committees: Academic Board (1986 - 88; 1994 - 2000), Research Development Committee (1993 - 2000) Horticulture Degree Board (Chairman/Secretary 1985 - 1987) Research Postgraduate Strategy Group (Technical Secretary) 1996, Continuing Education and Professional Development Committee (1997 - 1999) IT Services Users Group - Horticulture Representative (1996 – 2000), Committee member of local Association of University Teachers (1996 - 2000), Organised research seminar programmes in the Horticulture Section (1987 - 1997). Extramural responsibilities:
Senior Scientific Advisor in Forestry/Agroforestry of International Foundation of Science, Sweden (1990 - present). Referee of research papers submitted to: Annals of Botany, Commonwealth Forestry Review, Journal of Plant Physiology, Journal of Experimental Botany, Phytochemistry, Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, Plant Cell Reports, Tropical Science and Tropical Agriculture (1980 to present). Evaluator for UK Tropical Agriculture Association (1985 to 1988) Associate Editor of Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (1985 to 1998). Scientific Advisor in Horticulture and Plant Propagation for Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, UK (1993 - 1996) Organizer/convener of five international conferences and one international workshop: - SEB Seminar on "Plant Biotechnology" at University of Leicester. January 1982. - First Wye International Symposium on "Experimental manipulation of ovule tissues" at Wye College, University of London. September 1985. - Second Wye International Symposium on "The Chondriome - chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes" at Wye College, University of London. September 1986. - BPGRG meeting and plant tissue culture workshop on "Advances in the chemical manipulation of plant tissue cultures", Wye College, University of London. July 1987. - IFS workshop on “Recent Advances in Biotechnology for Tree Conservation and Management”, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil, September 15 - 19th, 1997. Organizer/lead trainer of three weekend in-service courses held at Wye College during 1984 and 1985 on "Applications and techniques of micro-propagation as used in horticulture" for gardeners, lecturers, and commercial growers. Occasional speaker at botany meetings and gardening days run by organizations such as the NCCPG and regional orchid societies. Organizer of a two-week course on "Date Palm Tissue Culture" held on behalf of FAO for 15 professional scientists from Middle East countries in April 1988 at Wye College. Organizer of three month/six month Short Courses entitled "Plant Tissue Culture and its application to micro-propagation and plant biotechnology" held in UAPS 1985 - present (total of 70 scientists trained in period 1985 - 1995). Technical consultant to Wellcourt Farm Nurseries commercial micro-propagation company at Blean, Canterbury, Kent producing 100,000 hardy ornamental nursery stock plants per annum (1986 - 1994). Plant Biotechnology consultant for Gallaher Ltd. (1983 - 1985) and Shell (UK) Ltd. (1984 - 1989). Technical consultant and Director of mail order "Micro-class Kits" providing biotechnology teaching resource materials for Schools and Colleges of Further Education in the UK (1986 – 1996). UK Coordinator of Agricultural Research Council/British Council-funded Research Collaboration between the German Agricultural Ministry (BBA), Braunschweig and Wye College on endophytic bacteria in crop plants and their implications for genetic transformation of monocotyledonous crops (1993 - 1996). Critical book reviews published in Plant Cell and Environment, Annals of Botany and Commonwealth Forestry Review (1980 – 2000) Member of Tropical Agriculture Association Fund subcommittee of the Tropical Agriculture Association funding graduate scientists on short project assignments in tropical countries (1984 – 1992). External Examiner (1985 - present) for PhD theses at University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of East London, Kings College London (University of London), University of Bath, University of Orsay, Paris - Sud, France, University of Zimbabwe and The University of the West Indies. Visiting Examiner in Plant Biotechnology, King's College London, University of London (1986 - 1989) and in Biology (1993 - 1997). Chief consultant on Plant Tissue Culture Management Project with Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman (1992 - 2000). Participated in University of London in-service training courses: “University Lecturer Induction” October, 1984 and “Academic Management” April 7 - 12, 1995. Organiser and convener of an International Foundation for Science Workshop on “Recent Advances in Biotechnology for Tree Conservation and Management” held at Hotel Castellar, Florianopolis, Santa Catharina, Brazil on 15 - 19th September, 1997. UK coordinator of EU SOCRATES Programme on Plant Biotechnology interlinking with postgraduate institutions in Holland (Wageningen), France (Angers) and Belgium (Ghent) on the Internet (1997 - 2001). Science Director of National Fruit Collections on behalf of Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food 1998 - 2003). Consultant in Plant Tissue Culture for the Sago Palm Institute of Sarawak (CRAUN) – (September, 1998 – 2005). Coordinator of Mentorship Initiative of the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm (May 2004 – September 2007). Consultant in Natural Resources for Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SAREC), Stockholm (September 2004 – 2007).
Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Leicester, UK
Plant Pathologist/Horticulturist, Ministry of Overseas Development, UK
Awards and prizes
Natural Resources Studentship, Ministry of Overseas Development, U.K. for M.Sc. at the University of London and the Diploma in Tropical Agriculture at the University of the W. Indies (1970 – 1972). Texaco Agricultural Research Prize for the best postgraduate thesis submitted at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago (1972). Elected as Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (F.I.Hort) in recognition of scientific research and training contributions in the field of international agriculture and horticulture (June 1995) Awarded Personal Chair (Professorship) in Plant Propagation Sciences, Imperial College at Wye, University of London (1998).
Theses
1971 M.Sc. - 'Rosellinia necatrix (Hart.) Berlese and the White Rot of Narcissus'. 1972 Diploma in Tropical Agriculture - 'A study of avocado decline in Trinidad'. 1978 Ph.D. - 'Studies on the Internal Brown Spot Disease of White Lisbon Yam (Dioscorea alata L.)'.
Papers in Refereed Journals
Doctoral theses supervised and successfully examined:
A. I. A. EBIDA (1988) Evaluation of phenotypic stability and salt tolerance in tissue culture - propagated plants of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivar 'Tioga'
C. P. HUNTER (1988) Plant regeneration from microspores of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Supervised jointly with Dr R. Lyne of Shell UK Ltd.
R. L. KADDOURA (1989) Studies on the in vivo and in vitro synthesis of chimeras between Nicotiana tabacum L and Solanum laciniatum Ait.
A. ABOUSALIM (1990) Micro-propagation and micro-grafting of pistachio (Pistacia vera L. and Pistacia atlantica Desf.)
A. Y. ALHASSAN (1991) Cultural factors affecting rapid clonal multiplication and microtuberisation in shoot culture systems of Dioscorea alata L. food yam
M. TOR (1991) Genetic transformation of yam (Dioscorea). Supervised jointly with C.C.Ainsworth.
S. E. PIERIS (1992) Micro-propagation of the Sri Lankan anthurium cultivar 'Crinkled Red' (Anthurium andreanum Lind.)
P. H. MOURA-COSTA (1992) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration of Ocotea catharinensis Mez (Lauraceae), an endangered forest tree of S. Brazil
M. G. RABBANI (1992) Induction, regeneration and synchronization of somatic embryos in papaya (Carica papaya L.)
P. MARTINEZ-RIVERA (1992) In vitro selection of resistance to Early Blight (Alternaria solani Sorauer) in the Andean Potato (Solanum phureja Juz. et Buk.)
E. A. MATIBIRI (1993) Inter- and Intraspecific transfer of Nicotiana suaveolens (Leh.) cytoplasmic male-sterility into N. tabacum (L.) by asymmetric protoplast fusion
C. T. TWYFORD (1993) Studies on the regeneration of Dioscorea alata food yams via somatic embryogenesis
A. C. JAMES (1993) A study of epigenetic changes associated with ontogenetic development (phase change) in the woody perennial shrub Solanum aviculare, Forst.
P. NARAYANASWAMY (1994) Development of in vitro plant regeneration and RAPD genetic fingerprinting of food yams (Dioscorea alata L.)
M. AITCHITT (1995) Development of micro-propagation and RAPD-PCR fingerprinting of Moroccan cultivars of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Supervised jointly with Dr C.C. Ainsworth.
P. KYESMU (1996) Micro-propagation and micro-tuberization in the endangered West African tuber crop “Rizga” (Plectranthus esculentus N.E.Br)
K. I. KANDASAMY (1996) Tissue culture studies on the interactions between the yam anthracnose pathogen and Dioscorea alata L.
B. BOGGETTI (1997) Development of micro-propagation and potential genetic transformation systems for cashew (Anacardium occidentale L)
M. I. TORRES ARZAYUS (1997) Engineering resistance in Dioscorea alata L. yams using genetic transformation of Nicotiana benthamiana as a model
R-H. LEE (1997) Cell - cell interactions during the induction of asexual embryogenic determination in yam (Dioscorea spp) leaf tissues
E. MNENEY (1998) Micropropagation and genetic fingerprinting of Tanzanian clones of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)
A. AUBYN (1999) Micropropagation and micrografting of citrus species of importance to Ghana
J. KAHIA (1999) In vitro propagation of the new disease resistant Coffea arabica L. hybrid – Ruiru 11
G. TSOKTOURIDIS (2000) Molecular characterization of bacteria intimately associated with Billbergia magnifica ssp. acutisepalia during axillary shoot proliferation and somatic embryogenesis
International professional missions and consultancy service provision
2018—present
Development of fresh green hydroponic and aeroponic cultivation systems for use in redundant farm buildings to stimulate resilience to disruptions to local food supply chains. Membership of Selection Commissions appointed by VLIR-UOS, Belgium on its post-2020 TEAM, JOINT and Scientific Initiatives programmes. Continuation of efforts in collaboration with the Boolean Library, UK to incorporate meaningful economic evaluations of the potential impacts research projects in developing countries can have on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) delivered through the STRIDES training initiative.
2015—2018
October—December 2017. Collaboration with Hemmaodlat, Malmö to continue development of its Urban Ecosystems Consortium’s entry to Stage 2 of the Urban Food from Residual Heat Competition organized by Climate KIC, Copenhagen.
January—October, 2017. Collaboration intensified with George Boole Foundation UK in development of the Strides/Navatec project and portfolio management system for release in January 2018.
December 2016. Invited keynote speaker at the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre to present a lecture on “Uses of biotechnology to make cities of the future self-sustainable” and to act as a resource person for assisting a workshop on innovation related to agri-based products. The keynote address focused on the development of urbanoponics and the areas in which biotechnology could play an important role in development of new salad crops and other novel types of fresh leaf produce. The innovation workshop focused on the development of SMART tools for assuring traceability in the agricultural/horticultural sectors.
October 2016. Planning and familiarization visit to Les Domaines Agricoles based in Meknes, Morocco to identify ornamentals and tree rootstocks with promising commercial potential in the country and which would require plant tissue culture (micropropagation) stages for their large scale production.
January—April 2016. Plant Tissue Culture specialist on behalf of the European Commission providing technical advice, evaluation and recommendations to the future prospects for commercial operations at the Micropropagation Laboratory based at the University of Belize Central Farm Campus, San Ignacio, Belize. Outputs of the consultancy indicated that commercialization of the laboratory’s operations would need at least two years of on-farm and on-station demonstration activities to show the respective values of different ornamental (high value/low volume species) produced by the laboratory compared to conventional stocks available in the country. Commercial micropropagation activities can only be reached if sufficient local markets (particularly in the tourism sector) can be identified. The laboratory therefore intends to produce affordable healthy disease-indexed planting materials of ornamentals (eg orchids, lilies, understory palms and other vegetatively propagated species) endemic either to Belize or to the Central American Region. The main reason for the need to identify the scope and sizes of local markets is that the banana and sugar industries in their current depressed states can not provide sufficient orders and purchases to make the laboratory commercially sustainable based on these two primary crops alone.
Most of 2015. Development of a real time audit innovation training and research platform (using Navatec Process software being developed by George Boole Foundation, UK) which provides effective portfolio management and total oversight to stakeholders engaging with multidisciplinary research teams working towards sustainable management and efficient use of water and biological resources in developing countries. Training on use of the platform is carried out at the Training Centre for Communication on the University of Nairobi Chiromo campus and STRIDES aims to improve standards in research and training for development through implementation of Global EU certification (such as the use of ISO 9000 series). Background to the STRIDES initiative can be found at www.strides.info
2010 - 2014
April—May 2014. Conducted with two colleagues a Final Evaluation of Phase 3 of the VicRes Lake Victoria Team Research Initiative 2010—2014 on behalf of the Inter-University Council of East Africa based in Kampala. Team research projects were located in the five countries surrounding Lake Victoria and sites visited during the evaluation were those based in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
February– May 2014. Consultancy on behalf of UN Convention in Biological Diversity (CBD), Montreal, Canada. A Nakhlatec team of three consultants provided an analysis, lessons learned and new considerations for developing better helpdesk functions for the Convention and its Parties UN Convention in Biological Diversity (CBD). The assessment and advice were based on a review of experiences of international agencies outside and within the biodiversity domain aimed at enhancing south-south and various forms of triangular cooperation to support capacity building and technical advice provision to the small island and developing states and in the LDC partners to the Convention. Important outputs of the advisory work were models of cooperation which could support regional and sub-regional biodiversity advisory services through helpdesks and better use of the knowledge bank of the CBD’s clearing house mechanism to support national focal points and other important stakeholders at the national, sub-national and local levels in support of ongoing and future regional ex situ and in situ conservation efforts.
December 2013. Provided international expert evaluations on university cooperation proposals on behalf of the Inter-University Council of Flanders (VLIR-UOS)
October 2013. Delivered invited lecture entitled "Urbanoponics: review and assessment of prospects for increasing food production in cities” at BioMalaysia and BioEconomy 2013 held in Johor, Malaysia. Provided technical advice to two BioNexus status companies on bioenergy crop development and provision of research facilities to local universities February—May 2013. Belgium and South Africa. Leader of countrywide strategy commission on behalf of the Inter-University Council (VLIR-UOS), Brussels appointed to review and assess prospects for future cooperation between universities and university colleges based in Flanders and South Africa September – December 2012. Founding member of the Scientific Training and Research Advisory Team of S.T.R.I.D.E.S. – the Scientific Training and Research Initiative in Development, Education and Sustainability – based at the Training Centre in Communication at the University of Nairobi (www.tcc-africa.org/tcc) May – September 2012. Sweden. Leader of sub-group appointed to the Virtual Taskforce of the International Foundation for Science to review operational procedures for steam-lining granting procedures at its Secretariat in Stockholm.
June – September 2011. Belgium. International Tertiary Education expert appointed to review and reposition the Inter-university partnership program of the Belgian Flanders university community linking with academic institutions in Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America and SE Asia.
February 2011. Mozambique. Final evaluation and monitoring mission to assess progress on the four-year STABEX Program to strengthen Agricultural Research and Extension in the country on behalf of the EU Commission and EC Delegation, Maputo.
September 2010. Tenerife, Canary Islands. Attendance at International Conference on Parrot Conservation. Consulted also a company producing ornamental palms including the local ornamental Canary date palm.
August 2010. Vietnam. Facilitator and resource person on Sweden-Vietnam International Collaboration workshop held in Lang Co Resort entitled: “Improving skills at writing research proposals and scientific papers for publication in international journals” held in collaboration with the Vietnamese Institute of Biotechnology, Hanoi (23 - 29th August, 2010).
May 2010. Malaysia. Delivered workshop training on bio-safety and GMO containment on the occasion of construction and delivery of a transgenic crop plant release facility to the Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology, Kuala Lumpur.
2000 - 2010
August 2009. Viet Nam. Facilitator and resource person on Sweden-Vietnam International Collaboration workshop held in Hai Nang Province entitled: “Improving skills at writing scientific papers for publication in international journals” held at the Vietnamese Institute of Biotechnology, Hanoi (1-7th August, 2009).
May 2009. Mozambique. Team leader of a Monitoring and Evaluation Mission to assess progress and development impact of the STABEX Agricultural Research and Extension Programme on behalf of the EU and GRM International BV, Holland.
March 2009. Zimbabwe. Leader of VLIR-UOS evaluation commission to assess the academic and development impacts of the Flanders – University of Zimbabwe IUC Partnership Programme.
August 2008. Viet Nam. Facilitator and resource person on Sweden-Vietnam workshop entitled: “Conceptualization and Preparation of Research Proposals” held at the Vietnamese Institute of Biotechnology, Hanoi (30 July - 5th August, 2008). October 2008. Mozambique. Leader of a Monitoring and Evaluation team assessing progress and development impact of the STABEX Agricultural Research and Extension Program on behalf of the EU and GRM International BV, Holland. September 2008. Kenya. Facilitator and resource person on IFS-VLIR-SUA workshop entitled: “Conceptualization and Preparation of Research Proposals” held at the University of Nairobi (21-27th September, 2008). September 2008. Ethiopia. Facilitator and resource person on IFS-VLIR-SUA workshop entitled: “Conceptualization and Preparation of Research Proposals” held at Mekelle University (15-19th September, 2008). September 2008. Zambia. Facilitator and resource person on IFS-VLIR-SUA workshop entitled: “Conceptualization and Preparation of Research Proposals” held at the University of Zambia (8-13th September, 2008). May 2007. Tanzania. Facilitator and resource person on IFS-VLIR-SUA workshop entitled: “Conceptualization and Preparation of Research Proposals” held in Morogoro, 7-12th May, 2007.
February 2007. Tanzania. Organization of a scientific proposal writing workshop at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro on behalf of the International Foundation for Science and the Belgian VLIR-UOS.
November 2006. Follow-up mission to Mozambique to finalize discussions and presentation of the consultancy team’s findings to Institutions within the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for research and extension on cashew, cassava, potato and cotton.
July - September 2006. Mozambique. Leader of a GRM International BV consultancy team making recommendations on behalf of the EU Commission for improvement in agricultural research and extension services funded through deployment of STABEX funds for development of four specific crops - cashew, cassava, potato and cotton.
May 2006. Argentina (Universidad Catolica de Cordoba) to teach on a regional course on “Recent Advances in the study of Mycorrhizas” organized and funded by the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm.
August 2005. Kenya (National Museums) on behalf of Sida-SAREC to carry out a review of RPSUD – Research Programme on the Sustainable Uses of Dryland Biodiversity based at the National Museums of Kenya. Visited ICRAF and interacted with specialists in dryland agroforestry.
February 2005. Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania on behalf of Sida-SAREC to conduct a Systems and Management Audit of the VicRes Project based at the Inter-University Council of East Africa in Kampala.
September 2004. Kenya and Tanzania on behalf of Sida-SAREC to conduct a Systems and Management Audit of the African Forestry Research Network (AFORNET) based in Nairobi.
June 2003. Morocco – to advise Les Domaines Agricoles on plant tissue culture and plant propagation of ornamentals, date palm and pomaceous fruit trees.
1990 - 2000
April 1990. Central and Southern India to collaborate on a British Council sponsored HED Link on forest tree and wild orchid propagation research at the Trivandrum Botanic Gardens.
May-June 1990. Southern India to evaluate on behalf of The British Council the capacity of university and government institutes to conduct crop biotechnology research and training.
September 1990. British Council Plant Biotechnology HED visit to Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil to deliver a workshop and assist in the design of new M.Sc. postgraduate training courses.
January 1991. University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka to review and provide advice on plant tissue culture activities in the horticulture and agriculture sectors on behalf of the Overseas Development Administration (now DFID) under a TTCD initiative.
April 1991. Consultancy visit on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria to provide advice on root and tuber crop tissue culture and in vitro breeding systems at the National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria.
September 1991. Provided technical advice to the South Pacific Commission in Fiji on applications of biotechnology in plant pathology research and to present a paper in a Regional Workshop on Crop Protection.
October 1991. Visit to Nigeria as follow up to IAEA mission earlier in 1991.
January-February 1992. Consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna in Costa Rica providing technical advice on in vitro mutagenesis of potato and rice.
July 1992. Academic exchange on TEMPUS scheme with Horticultural Institutes in Prague and Brno, Czechoslovakia.
September 1992. Visit to Date Palm Tissue Culture laboratory in Marrakech and date palm breeding station at Zagora, Morocco.
February 1993. Visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam to participate as an invited expert to the Crop Science group to lecture on propagation of tropical root and tuber crops at an IFS Workshop entitled "Rapid Propagation of Tropical Economic Crops".
April 1993. Presentation of background paper on current progress in yam biotechnology to conference entitled "Africa in the face of biotechnology challenges: the case of yam" in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. (19 - 23 April, 1993).
April 1993. Organized and taught on course in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation held at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil.
May 1993. Visit to Malawi on behalf of the Rockefeller Foundation to develop Ph.D. research programme with Forestry Research Institute of Malawi on propagation and selection of Faidherbia albida.
June 1993. Consultancy visit on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman to assess progress of management of date palm micropropagation laboratory based at Nizwa.
August 1993. Taught on two - week British Council sponsored workshop on "Plant Tissue Culture and Micropropagation" at Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio, Brazil.
November 1993. Visit to Kenyan Forestry Research Institute, Kenya as Senior Scientific Advisor, IFS research review panel in Forestry and Agroforestry in Nairobi.
January 1994. Provision of technical advice to The Biotechnology Centre, Mona Campus, University of the West Indies, Jamaica in yam tissue and cell culture and molecular genetics and gene transformation research.
February 1994. Assess progress on large scale micropropagation of banana, pineapple and date palm at Ministry of Agriculture Tissue Culture Laboratory at Jimah in Sultanate of Oman.
July 1994. Collaborative research meeting on EU-funded cashew micropropagation project with Instituto Agronomia Tropical in Lisbon, Portugal.
January 1995. Presented two week course entitled on “In vitro breeding methods” to DEA students at the Universite d’Angers and ENITHP, Angers, France.
March 1995. Leader of team of 12 undergraduate B.Sc. Horticulture students on Horticulture Tour of the Loire Region, France.
May 1995. Provision of advice to Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman on management of Jimah Date Palm Tissue Culture Laboratory.
June 1995. Provision of advice to the Centro Investigacion de Agronomia y Forestal, El Salvador on the establishment of an in vitro mutagenesis breeding programme on potato and other vegetatively propagated crops on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
November 1995. Present a keynote paper on the International Yam Biotechnology Workshop at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica and advise on yam research at The Biotechnology Centre, UWI.
January 1996. Visit to Belem, Brazil to develop Higher Education Academic Link between Wye College and Faculdade Ciencias Agronomia do Para, Belem sponsored by The British Council and the Brazilian Government (CAPES).
June 1996. Visit to Tanzania on behalf of The British Council and Overseas Development Administration to assess research progress on micropropagation and molecular fingerprinting of cashew.
July 1996. Visit to Malawi on behalf of The Rockefeller Foundation to assess research progress on genetic characterisation and vegetative propagation of fast and slow growing Faidherbia albida trees.
March 1997. Leader of postgraduate student Horticulture Study Tour to Spain and Portugal visiting the Valencia, Andalucia and Algarve agricultural production regions.
June 1997. Visit to Brazil to teach two week course in “Plant tissue culture and its applications to conservation of forest and fruit trees” at Facultade de Ciencias do Para, Belem as part of an HED British Council / CAPES link programme.
July 1997. Visit to Brazil to participate in the Third World Academy of Sciences / International Foundation for Sciences Conference on Biotechnology for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean held in Rio de Janeiro and to chair an International Foundation for Science workshop in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina entitled “Recent Advances in Biotechnology for Tree Conservation and Management”.
October 1997. Visit to Iran on behalf of the Ministry of Jihad and Construction to assess the research of a split-Ph.D. student programme on pistachio based at research centres in Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan.
March 1998. Leader of one-week undergraduate student Horticulture Study Tour to Angers, France visiting Research Institutions, nursery operations and vegetable, top fruit and grape production operations in the Loire-Anjou Region.
April 1998. Visited Instituto do Arboricultura and Fruticultura, Universitario de Viterbo, Italy on behalf of the International Foundation for Science, Forestry and Agroforestry.
May 1998. Consultancy visit to Sultanate of Oman to review progress on date palm, pineapple and banana production by the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory at Jimmah.
September 1998. Visit to Costa Rica to evaluate and measure the impacts of IFS grantee research in Forestry and Agroforestry in the Central America region on behalf of IFS, Sweden.
October 1998. Consultancy visit to CRAUN, Sarawak to review and assess the status of sago palm micro-propagation work in the institute
April 1999. Visit to Morocco to run a workshop on organization of future in-country and pan-francophone Africa collaborative research in Forestry and Agroforestry (in particular date palm)
July - August 1999. Visit to Sweden to initiate research collaboration between the Nordic Gene Bank, Swedish Lantbruks Universitet and the National Fruit Collections. UK on application of tissue culture techniques to short, medium and long term ex situ conservation of fruit tree germplasm.
September 1999. Joint Leader of a party of 15 postgraduate students from UK, Belgium, France and Holland to participate in EU SOCRATES Workshop on “Biotechnology of the Potato” based at Wageningen Agricultural University, Holland. The outputs from the workshop were posted on the internet and the students participated in several post-workshop electronic fora.
October 1999. Participation as a Senior Scientific Advisor in a pan Africa workshop on “A Systematic Approach in Developing and Writing a Forest Research Project for Funding Support” held in Kadoma, Zimbabwe.
November 1999 – 2003. Consultancy visits to CRAUN, Kuching, Sarawak to provide advice on plant tissue culture propagation and molecular biology of sago palm. A total of twelve two-week visits were made over a four year period.
1980 - 1990
June 1983. Invited to present a research seminar on 'Plant Cell and Tissue Culture' at the prestigious Gordon Seminar School Conference on Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering held at Plymouth, New Jersey, USA.
January - March 1985. Co-supervised FAO-funded project which produced a manual for extension workers and agricultural project leaders on underexploited crop plants of semi-arid and arid regions of East Africa with nutritionists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
April 1986. Conducted a study visit to plant tissue culture laboratories and plant biotechnology groups in Argentina on behalf of The Royal Society, UK to foster scientific collaboration after the Falklands (Las Malvinas) crisis.
July 1986. British Council-sponsored visit to Malaysia to teach on the MARDI Workshop/Symposium on “Applications of meristem culture and micro-propagation in agriculture and forestry” held under the auspices of the Commonwealth Science Fund for Technical Co-operation (Commonwealth Science Council) and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.
January 1987. Carried out Specialist Tour of Southern India for the British Council to assess scientific capacities in Plant Biotechnology located within Universities and Research Institutes. Presented 10-day course on 'Culture of Orchid Protoplasts' at the Trivandrum Botanic Gardens, Kerala. Visited ICRISAT, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore and National Chemical Laboratories, Pune, India.
May 1987. Yucatan, Mexico to set up a British Council-sponsored HED education link in plant biotechnology to run for three years (1988-1991).
May 1988. Visited Morocco on behalf of The British Council to assess Date Palm Tissue Culture Laboratory operations in Marrakech and to service a Split Ph.D. programme on 'Micrografting of Pistacia vera with a local pistachio species P. atlantica' under an Overseas Development Administration Technical Training and Cooperation for Development (TTCD) initiative.
June 1988. Consultancy visit to western USA to assess scientific and commercial potential of a plant biotechnology and seed company on behalf of a potential buyer. Company's operations visited were located in San Francisco, San Diego St Louis, Missouri and Portland, Oregon.
June 1988. Spain to teach on an European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)-sponsored training course on 'Applications of plant tissue culture and biotechnology to horticultural crops' held at University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
December 1988. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil to establish a CAPES/Higher Education for Development (HED) British Council Link in Plant Biotechnology between that University and the University of London (research and postgraduate training on tissue culture propagation and conservation management of forest tree species in the Mata Atlantica).
January 1989. Field visit to Zimbabwe to service Split Ph.D. programme with scientist in Plant Breeding Department of Tobacco Research Board, Harare.
1968 - 1980
July 1968. Member of a 12-member student expedition from the University of Bristol Department of Botany undertaking ecological field surveys in North Norway to collect information on montane and upland plant associations to compare with counterparts in northern regions of Scotland.
April 1972. Visits to horticultural research institutes and commercial horticultural establishments in Venezuela, Guyana, and Surinam. Nursery installations, agroforestry operations and commercial plantations producing oil palm, cacao, coffee and citrus.
Copyright Nakhlatec 2020® 01 March 2020
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Curriculum Vitae |
Sinclair H. Mantell |
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01 January 2018 |
Full academic CV with scientific publications and professional international experience* |
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Title: Professor
Residence: Kvarngården, Gödelöv 141, 247 98 Genarp, Sweden
Email: info@nakhlatec.eu Website: www.nakhlatec.se Nationalities: British and Swedish
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