Ploughing new ground

Aberystwyth University in Wales is focusing on developing close ties with agricultural institutes in India

Updated on: Nov 22, 2012, 14:11:23 IST

Hindustan Times | By Vandana Ramnani, New Delhi

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With a stunning campus overlooking the Cardigan Bay on the West coast of Wales, UK, Aberystwyth University has a world class Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS). Famous for its research on issues such as sustainable land use, climate change and the security of food and water supplies, it is focusing on developing close links with agricultural and environmental institutes in India and collaborating on research in these areas.

According to professor John Grattan, pro vice-chancellor, student experience and international, Aberystwyth University, the institute has agreements with many institutions all over the world. “In line with our international strategy, we are currently focusing on developing close links with agricultural and environmental institutes in India to share our expertise and collaborate on research in these areas.”

IBERS currently has a memorandum of understanding with the International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), National Agricultural Reseach System (NARS), India.

A research project being carried out at the department currently looks at pearl millet, a plant that is grown in the driest parts of Asia and Africa where the soil is poor in nutrition. “We have been trying to improve pearl millet so that farmers get a reliable yield and the produce does not get reduced by disease, such as downy mildew, or by the failure of rain,” explains Rattan Yadav, research leader, crop genetics, genomics and breeding division of IBERS.

“Aberystwyth took this up 20 years ago – with the help of the Department for International Development (DFID) – and collected lots of genetic and genomic resources to help understand these traits. We conducted this work in collaboration with ICRISAT – the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics – based in Hyderabad, India. This is part of a group that conducts research on tropical crops grown by the poorest of the poor farmers,” says Yadav, who hails from Haryana.

A word of advice
* Do your research. Check which courses are available and find out if they meet your needs (ie would it help you secure a better job, would it enable you to become a researcher, a lecturer, a teacher etc?)

* University websites are the quickest option here. If you are applying for a PhD or an MPhil research programme, then contact the department before constructing your research proposal

* Check if funding is available

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vandana Ramnani
Vandana Ramnani leads the real estate vertical at Hindustan Times Digital, bringing over two decades of journalism experience across real estate, education, human resources, and foreign affairs. She specialises in India’s real estate sector, covering residential and commercial markets in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with in-depth reporting on regulatory developments, urban policy, housing trends, and interviews with industry leaders. Her work has also appeared in the Hindustan Times newspaper and HT Estates. Earlier, Vandana played a key role in establishing the real estate vertical at Moneycontrol (NW18 Group), shaping its editorial direction and market coverage. She has also written extensively on international education for HT Education, tracking global study destinations, policy changes, and student mobility trends, earning the Singapore Education Award 2009 for Best Media Coverage (Print). Her reporting portfolio includes human resources and employment trends for HT ShineJobs and PowerJobs, as well as lifestyle and interior design features for HT Premium Homes. Vandana began her career with the Press Trust of India, gaining strong editorial and reporting expertise. She was also selected for a prestigious fellowship at Fondation Journalistes en Europe in Paris, where she wrote for EuroMag. One of her notable reporting assignments included covering Germany’s capital relocation from Bonn to Berlin. Outside of journalism, Vandana is a passionate traveller, constantly seeking out charming hideaways across India and the lesser-known, offbeat corners of Southeast Asia.Read More

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