Technical Workshop The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) are organizing International Technical Workshop on Knowledge, Tools and Lessons for Informing the Design and Implementation of Food Security Strategies in Asia, November 14-16, 2011 in Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal. The workshop, sponsored by the US Agency for International Development, will bring country and regional stakeholders from the research, government, NGO, donor, and private sector communities together to review knowledge, share practical lessons, and identify information gaps in program interventions in agriculture and nutrition.

 

The main objective is to bring together country and regional stakeholders in the sub-regions of Asia (Central, East, South, Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands) to review and share state of the art knowledge, practical lessons, and tools for supporting agricultural and food security strategies in Asia.

 

IFPRI is playing a key role in helping to design and set up a knowledge management system for informing current and future food and nutrition security strategies in Asia through the monitoring of key indicators and the promotion of cross-country learning and knowledge sharing. IFPRI is well placed to help with setting up such a system given its many years of policy research on agriculture and food security, capacity strengthening and outreach. For example, the recent 2020 conference in New Delhi for improving nutrition and health (http://2020conference.ifpri.info), and the development of knowledge products and information systems (e.g. the food security website portal (www.foodsecurityportal.org), the agricultural science and technology indicators (www.asti.cgiar.org) and the regional strategic analysis and knowledge support systems tool in Africa (www.resakss.org).

 

As a well regarded think tank in Nepal, IIDS is playing a key role in providing guidance on locally relevant policy issues and well established network of key researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in the region. IIDS is well placed in collaborating with IFPRI on this important workshop based on its reputation as one of Nepal’s leading private, independent, non-partisan research institute that conducts policy research on Nepal's socio-economic development issues within the national, regional and international contexts, fosters informed debate and discussion on key development issues facing the country, and facilitates access to as well as exchange of experiences with institutions inside and outside the country. For details information, visit: href="http://www.resakss-asia.org/

 

A Dissemination Seminar/Meeting on the findings of the study on "Decentralization in Nepal" undertaken by the institute under the overall coordination of the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR), based in Oslo and funded by the Norwegian Research Council on January 20, 2011, at Hotel de'la Annapurna, Darbarmarg.

 

Book launch programme was organized on December 14, 2010, at the Staff College, Jawalakhel, in the memory of Late Kulshekhar Sharma, one of the founding members of IIDS.

 

Symposium titled “Social Science in the Public Interest: Building the foundation for New Nepal” was jointly organized by IIDS, ISER, SIRF and University of Michigan on 14th Nov 2010 at Hotel Himalaya.

 

“Research to Examine Linkages between HIV/AIDS, Agriculture and Food Security in Nepal” was organized by FAO, Nepal in coordination with IIDS on 5th October 2010 in Everest Hotel.