A new training, conference and information facility for CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center

Abstract

Maize and wheat researchers throughout the developing world look to CIMMYT as their international research center of excellence on these crops. The growing requirements of developing country research institutions in germplasm development, training and information exchange will demand that CIMMYT make important changes in its program activities in the years ahead. In 1971, CIMMYT inaugurated its existing headquarters physical plant in the midst of a considerable expansion in the Center's relationships with agricultural research and production institutions in the Third World. With world acclaim for its "Green Revolution" semidwarf wheat varieties (1970 Nobel Peace Prize for Norman E. Borlaug; 1970 UNESCO Science Prize shared with IRRI), CIMMYT was catapulted during the ensuing decade into a much broader research, training and information role within the global agricultural research community. The demand for these services has never been greater. Today, CIMMYT works with agricultural researchers in more than 125 countries. The Center ships over two million packets of experimental seed annually to cooperators around the world. More than 2,500 agricultural scientists in 90 countries are alumni of CIMMYT's in-service training and visiting scientist programs (see Figures 1 and 2). CIMMYT relies on continuing dialog and feedback from these various clientele to ensure relevance in its research, training and information dissemination activities. 2 While the size of CIMMYT's international maize and wheat research network has increased dramatically over the past decade, so too has the fundamental nature of the Center's relationship with national research institutions and individuals that make up this network. At the beginning of the 1970s, many of these institutions were just initiating their maize and wheat research programs. Today, a number of these programs are staffed with highly competent maize and wheat researchers. The more advanced national programs, however, now seek to improve the professional scope and depth of their senior scientists. At the same time, the less advanced programs (in some cases, only recently establised) still require practical, inservice training for their most promising young scientists in the basics of crop research. CIMMYT believes it is essential to maintain the current level of in-service training at headquarters in Mexico while expanding substantially the number of longer-term visiting scientist fellowships it offers annually. Fellowships are intended primarily for national program collaborators, former trainees, and associate scientists on sabbatical leave-all partners in a vital and unique global network of agricultural researchers committed to raising the quantity and quality of food available in the developing world. Training activities outside Mexico are also being considerably increased through the efforts of CIMMYT's regionally posted scientific staff. The expansions in regional and in-country training activities require increasing back-up support services in Mexico. Staff and facilities are needed to prepare training-related materials (manuals, field guides and audio-visuals) for use by regional staff in these training courses.