I C A R D A    N e w s

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
For more information contact: Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
 
23 June 2005
Women's Leadership Course
ICARDA hosted the 10th Annual CGIAR Women’s Leadership Course at its headquarters in Aleppo on 22-28 May. The objective of the course was to enhance the skills needed for good leadership and managerial effectiveness in female managers, scientists, researchers, and other professionals working in the Future Harvest Centers of the CGIAR and in their international, regional and national partner organizations. The main topics covered were: sustaining team performance; conflict resolution; and building alliances to achieve optimum research and business results.
Participants of the 10th Annual CGIAR Women’s Leadership Course. Seen in the front row are Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA DG, and Dr Mohamed A. Nour, former DG of ICARDA.

In his welcome address, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA DG, strongly emphasized the role of female scientists and other professionals in the success of the CGIAR Centers in fulfilling their mission. Dr Mohamed A. Nour, former DG of ICARDA, who happened to be visiting the Center at the time, also attended the opening session. Dr Malika A. Martini, Research Associate, Socioeconomics and Gender Analysis; and Dr Samir Ahmed, Head, Human Resources Development Unit (HRDU), from ICARDA; and Mrs Dee Hahn-Rollins,Training Resource Group Inc. (TRG) Facilitator, joined Prof. Dr El-Beltagy at the opening session in welcoming the participants to the meeting.

The participants included 35 female scientists and administrative officers from 13 research institutes, 10 of which are CG Centers, namely, ICARDA, ILRI, WorldFish, IPGRI, IWMI, ICRAF, CIFOR, CIP, CIAT, IITA; and FAO and NARS of the region. There were also four facilitators from the TRG, USA. Among the participants, there were eleven ICARDA scientists, their NARS counterparts and some administrative officers.

The participants got a chance to visit the research facilities at ICARDA and familiarize themselves with the Center's activities. They all said they enjoyed the course and were impressed with the great city of Aleppo, a city along the Silk Road, steeped in history. They also enjoyed the traditional hammam, the food, and above all, the hospitality of the Syrian people.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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