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| Marco Wopereis |
With
the permission of Dr Marco Wopereis our Deputy
Director General and Director of Research for Development (DDG/DR4D), it is with great
pleasure that I would like to announce to you his appointment on Friday
16th October 2015, as the new Director General of
AVRDC-The
World Vegetable Center.
I would like all
AfricaRice Board members,
staff and partners to join me in expressing our sincere congratulations
to Marco on this new appointment but also on this significant and
positive evolution in his professional career. I am certain none of us
in the agricultural research world will refute the fact that this is a
well-deserved appointment. During such moments, we should also have in
mind that Marco has not been walking alone. He has undoubtedly received very strong family support, which merits recognition. As such, I would
also like you to join me in extending our congratulations to his family.
As the saying goes “one man’s loss is
another man’s gain”; AfricaRice is losing its DDG/DR4D to AVRDC’s gain.
What is important to retain, however, is the fact that looking back at
Marco’s track record, he has indeed made very significant contributions
to AfricaRice, more especially in terms of the establishment of a solid
scientific direction and foundation. He has certainly played a highly
significant role in leading the implementation of the research for
development program, which has ensured a sound scientific position for
AfricaRice in the global rice research arena and the achievement of
important successes.
I have only spent six months working
directly with him and I can assure you that it has really been real
quality time and pleasure for me. He has indeed facilitated my
integration into AfricaRice and I do appreciate this. I also believe
that over the whole period he has been with the Institution, some of his
sterling qualities have rubbed-off on some AfricaRice staff members and
close associates, which should ensure business continuity in research
for development work at AfricaRice. AVRDC is, therefore, lucky to have
such a quality person heading it.
What would certainly be on the lips of all
who know Marco now would be “Marco is more than capable and therefore
will be very successful as the new DG of AVRDC”. I would like to
encourage us all, however, to be more rational and wish him all the best
of luck and to exhort divine support as he takes on the new position,
which like all others, surely comes with its own numerous and unknown
challenges to overcome.
We would also like to say to Marco, as he
takes on the new challenges, “rest assured of our continued support and
more especially let’s exploit the opportunities for collaboration within
the context of the Rice Agri-Food System (RAFS) project in the making
under Phase 2
CGIAR
Research Programs (CRPs), with vegetables”. It will certainly be a
happy marriage for Africa.
I would like also to thank Marco for
giving AfricaRice the time to prepare for a successful transition, and
more importantly, for having pledged his unflinching support to the
Institution, up to the time he has planned to leave in mid-April 2016.
At this point in time we can only, once more, wish him well, and look
forward to exploiting opportunities of continuing to work with him in
his new career path.
AfricaRice Director General
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