This will be his first visit to Vietnam and his first stop on a trip to the Mekong countries including Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

During his visit, Dr. Austin will meet with local partners of ACIAR’s research cooperation programmes in Vietnam to get a clearer picture of priorities, policy orientations, and agricultural development here.

He will also meet with leaders of the Ministries of Planning and Investment and Agriculture and Rural Development and directors of some of Vietnam’s leading agriculture institutes to discuss the possibility of promoting cooperation in agricultural research and development.

Dr. Austin will conduct a fact-finding tour of Tien Giang and Soc Trang provinces.

Dr. Austin, who has been ACIAR’s CEO since July 2009, is responsible for developing and implementing ACIAR’s strategic and plans as well as managing the centre’s operations.