Media Release
BOB McMULLAN MP
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FRASER
17 March 2009
Asia-Pacific agricultural researchers awarded Australian Fellowships
Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, will
today present the John Dillon Memorial Fellowship award to nine talented agricultural
scientists and economists from the across the Asia-Pacific region
The Fellowship recipients are visiting Australia at the invitation of the Australian
Government for leadership training and to make making valuable connections with
Australians working in similar fields during their six-week visit.
“Each member of the group has shown potential to lead research institutes and agencies
in our partner countries and will be important contributors to the global effort to fight
poverty and secure world food security,” said Mr McMullan.
“They have each won a John Dillon Fellowship, provided by the Australian Centre for
International Agricultural Research, ACIAR, for short-term leadership development
opportunities in the area of agricultural research management, agricultural policy and
extension technologies to people who are participating in ACIAR-funded programs,”
McMullan said.
The scheme is named in recognition of the late Professor John Dillon who made an
outstanding contribution to international agricultural research and research collaboration.
“This year we are once again hosting an impressive group of people who are doing
important work on agricultural development in their countries in collaboration with
ACIAR,” said ACIAR CEO, Peter Core. “They are involved in a range of industries, such
as the coffee industry in Papua New Guinea, cattle production in Eastern Indonesia, and
in Pakistan’s horticultural industries.”
The group of John Dillon Fellows are in Canberra from 10-20 March, visiting ACIAR,
the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Rural
Industries Research and Development Corporation and eWater CRC at the University of
Canberra. The remainder of the program has been specially tailored to their individual
management training needs.
Media Release
“The Fellows’ six week visit in Australia commenced with management training at Mt
Eliza Business School, and includes training in Canberra and Brisbane. In addition the
Fellows have had placements with Australian R&D organisations in Melbourne, Hobart,
Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Sydney, to experience how they manage research in a
changing environment,” Mr Core said.
“The John Dillon Fellowship scheme is just one aspect of the valuable capacity building
work ACIAR does,” Mr McMullan said.
The 2009 ACIAR John Dillon Fellows include:
Ms Wahida, Coordinator, Collaborative Research Division, Indonesian Center
for Agricultural Socio Economic and Policy Studies, Bogor, INDONESIA
Dr Marsetyo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Animal Science, University of
Tadulako, Palu, INDONESIA
Mr Handoko Widagdo, Acting Country Director, World Education Indonesia,
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Mr Nelson Simbiken, Senior Research Scientist, Papua New Guinea Coffee
Industry Corporation, Goroka, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Mr William Kerua, Lecturer, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Mr Don Yakuma, Program Coordinator Forestry, OK Tedi Development
Foundation, Tabubil, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Mr Chea Sareth, Deputy Head of Socio-economics and Science Division,
Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Phnom Penh,
CAMBODIA
Dr Babar Ehsan Bajwa, Manager (Technical), Pakistan Horticulture
Development and Export Board, Lahore, PAKISTAN
Mr Oupakone Alounsavath, Director, Planning and Cooperation, Department of
Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Vientiane, LAO PDR
Media contact:
Sabina Curatolo, Mr McMullan’s office, 0400 318 205
Mandy Gyles, ACIAR, 0408 332 374
NEWS 
