The 5th meeting of University Network for Tropical Agriculture (UNTA) on “Innovation in a Higher Education for Tropical Agriculture”

From December 01st to 03rd, 2016 the fifth meeting of University Network for Tropical Agriculture (UNTA) was hosted by Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry with the participation of 21 international delegates from UNTA members; the representatives of Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry; and leaders of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry.

University Network for Tropical Agriculture (UNTA) was established on December 13, 2012 as a result of the Roundtable Discussion during President’s Forum on Agriculture for Leading Universities in Southeast Asia at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. This network aims to implement integration and to create closer ties in order to improve higher education, training and research in the area of tropical agriculture (http://unta.npust.edu.tw/).

UNTA was established by ten universities, namely Bogor Agricultural University (IPB, Indonesia), Brawijaya University (Indonesia), University Putra Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Malaysia), Kasetsart University and Maejo University (Thailand), Thai Nguyen University (Vietnam), National Pingtung University of Science and Technology and Ming Dao University (Taiwan), and Wehenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science (Germany). UNTA opens for registration of new members of UNTA. At present the membership has expended to 25 universities.

The theme of  the 5th UNTA meeting 2016 to be highlighted is “Innovation in a Higher Education for Tropical Agriculture” with the objectives:

(1) Create opportunities for members of UNTA to share experiences in higher education innovation in the fields of tropical agriculture in order to improve the quality of education of the members; and
(2) Search for opportunities to develop collaborative activities on exchange of students, faculties and research cooperation between the members.

At the meeting, the representatives of UNTA members delivered the presentation on:

(1) Development of Smart Agriculture in Taiwan
(2) Infrastructural Development of Agro-Eco- Edu-Tourism Centre at Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture University Malaysia Sabah
(3) Roles and Engagement of Kasetsart University to Foster Education
(4) Research, and Knowledge Transfer of Tropical Agriculture
(5) International cooperation in higher education for tropical agriculture university. An open discussion session was held for the participants to exchange their views on the Proposal for cooperating activities among universities in both education and scientific research. In the framework of the meeting, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry and The University of Queensland has signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

The next UNTA meeting will be held at The University of Queensland.