Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU)

Dr. Tamara Jackson, Agricultural Research for Development specialist at the University of Adelaide ,Australia and Team Leader of the ACIAR-funded Rupantar Project (Transforming Smallholder Food Systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plains), along with Dr. Ravi Nandi, Agricultural Economist at CIMMYT Bangladesh, visited the Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Professor Dr. A K Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, at his office on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

The visit was part of a week-long trip to Bangladesh to review the progress of Rupantar project in Bangladesh, led by Professor Dr. Hasneen Jahan of the Department of Agricultural Economics, BAU. As part of their visit, the team observed both on-farm and on-station trials of Brinjal (at BAU farm) under different irrigation and mulching systems. The team also observed farm level diversification opportunities with Mustard, Brinjal and Indigenous Chicken farming in northern Bangladesh which are implemented by the RDRS, Bangladesh.

In the meeting, the honorable Vice Chancellor shared his experience with the ACIAR in different aspects from the 1990s, and appreciated the continuous collaboration between ACIAR and BAU. They also discussed the project outcome, potential avenues for future collaboration with BAU, including opportunities for postgraduate student exchange programs with the University of Adelaide, Australia and further research initiatives with ACIAR, CIMMYT, and the University of Adelaide.

Also present at the meeting were Professor Dr. Md. Harun Or Rashid, Department of Agronomy, Professor Dr. Md. Wakilur Rahman, Department of Rural Sociology, Associate Professor Dr. Arifa Jannat, Institute of Agribusiness and Development Studies, Associate Professor Dr. Md. Monirul Islam, Department of Agricultural Economics, and Ms. Anupama Nisho, Assistant Research Associate, CIMMYT Bangladesh.