Lesson learned from AUNP-National Training Courses in Vietnam

and

Perspectives of cooperation in FGR’s education and training.

LESSONS LEARNED:

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Evaluating Training programs:2003 impetus

instrumental : -Prof. Reiner Finkeldey -Prof. Daniel Prat

• 31 persons in Vietnam trained in: -Forest Tree Breeding, -Conservation of FGR.

• involved in -National Forestry production, and / or

conservation,-Education and Research Institutions

Participants in AUNP-National Trainings, Intensive Training, and/or Final MeetingNames Grade Occupation T1 T2 IT MT Final

• Nguyen Van Be BA Cons. Med. Pl +• Nguyen Danh Dr. For. Dir. DOST + +• Nguyen thi Kim Dung M.Sc Univ.staff +• Ngo thi Minh Duyen M.Sc. For. Res. Staff +• Le thi Quynh Han BA PA staff +• Diep thi My Hanh Dr. Univ. staff +• Huynh Duc Hoan BA PA staff +• Nguyen thi Bich Hong M.Sc. Agri. Res. Staff +• Duong thi Bich Hue M.Sc. Univ. staff +• Do Manh Hung For. Eng. PA vice-Dir. +• Nguyen Van Hung For. Eng. PA staff +• Pham Quynh Huong M.Sc. M.Sc. student + +• Le Huynh M.Sc. For. Fac. staff +• Le Cong Kiet Dr. Univ. staff + + + • Thai Thanh Luom Dr. For. PA Dir. + +• Kieu Phuong Nam M.Sc. Univ. staff +• Vien Ngoc Nam Dr. For. For. Res. Staff + + +• Nguyen Phi Nga M.Sc. Univ. staff + +• Le thi Hong Nhu M.Sc. M.Sc. student +• Tran thi Kieu Oanh BA Urban Park +• Phung Thuy Phuong Dr. Univ. staff. +• Nguyen Du Sanh Dr. V-Dean Bio. + + +• Nguyen Van So M.Sc. V-Dean For. + + +• Nguyen thi Lan Thi M.Sc. Univ. staff + +• Nguyen thi Bich Thuy Dr. For. For. Serv. +• Le thi Thu Thuy M.Sc. For. Seed Entpr. + +• Huynh Nhan Tri M.Sc. For. School staff +• Nguyen thi Tron M.Sc. For. Res. staff +• Nguyen Tran Quoc Trung M.Sc. M.Sc. student + + • Dang Le Anh Tuan M.Sc. M.Sc. student + +• Hoang Anh Tuan BA PA staff +• Le Duc TuanM.Sc. For. Serv. +• Hoang Viet M.Sc. Univ. staff + +• Tran thi Oanh Yen M.Sc. Agri. Res. staff +

• Invited, but Refused / or Not available during the Training Courses or Final Meeting• Names Grade Occupation 1st Trng 2nd Trng Intensiv M.Sc.Trng Final• Le Xuan Ai M.Sc. PA Dir. +• Nguyen Van Be BA Cons. Med. Pl. +• Pham Quang Binh BA PA Dir. +• Nguyen Minh Chau Dr. Res. Inst. Dir. +• Nguyen Danh Dr. For. Dir. DOST +• Nguyen Huu Hoan BA PA Dir +• Phan Nguyen Hong Prof. Univ. Hanoi Prof. +• Huynh Van Keo M.Sc. PA Dir +• Ha thi Bich Mai BA DOST staff +• Nguyen Hoang Nghia Dr. For. Res. Inst. Dir +• Cao Dang Nguyen Dr. Univ. Staff + + +• Cat Tien National Park For. Eng. For. Tech. staff +• Huynh The Phien BA PA Dir +• Nguyen Hong Duy Phuong BA PA Dir +• Dang Trung Tan For. Eng. For. Res. Center + +• Luu thi Thanh Tu M.Sc. Univ. staff + +

• How good were our Regional and National trainings in FGR and FG technology?

• Do we know?

• Can we do things better?

• What things need improvement?

• How do we maximize the benefits?

• Many cooperation programs in training -begun with tremendous enthusiasm, -fail to develop because of lack of :

-leadership, -management .

• Few fail for financial reasons.

in the areas of education : -motivation, -implementation, and -acceptance

are prime targets for success in any cooperation program.

Our purpose: evaluate

the effectiveness of the training programs, looking at:

-personal and professional benefits, -opportunities for technology transfer, -opinions about course content, and -future developments that the Project might initiate.

Encouraged by the results:

Participants in Intensive trainings (Goettingen and Lyon):

-expressed some satisfaction for the training programs, and

-identified personal benefit.

However, how the benefits of

education and training could be enhanced

when returned to their home countries ?

Matching trainees and training programs: maximizing the benefits:

• well-trained leadership and staff do not exist,

• essential : identifying and developing strong leadership in FG training programs

• Still difficult to:-identify good leaders, or -supply appropriate personnel for

training.

• Equally important : graduates to stay within the Teaching and/or Research Institutions.

• but Training is a risky business, don’t always have winners.

• “half-live” of many trained people can be very short; they tend to move on and up and away.

• “building sand castles against an incoming tide”! 2 contrasting cases of Dr. Luu Hong Truong and Dr. Vien Ngoc Nam

• Avoid deskmen and administrators as trainees !

• Raising the skill levels of -lead-practitioners, and -vocational educators;

these are the people who will make a difference.

• No longer have AUNP programs,

• Many trainees will no longer have a “tight linkage” with the training institutions.

• Where this infrastructure will go now?

• None of the 3 SE-Asian Universities involved in this project

-are members of FG Associations /Organizations, and

-have accredited laboratories in Plant Genetics.

PERSPECTIVES

Training programmes options• Alarming feature of the people who

need education and training on FG science and technology is -not their number, -but the variety of their requirements.

• Training is required -at different levels, and -with different types.

Levels:• Specialized course:

-concentrating on a single activity such as Tree breeding, Wood certification, FGR conservation, etc., -or covering a broad spectrum of these operations.

• Specialized course may be :-elementary or advanced, -short or long, ranging

-from a few weeks for a technician, -to several years for a plant

breeder.

• Geographic range : a) National course trainings,b) International courses c) Regional trainings d) Overseas trainings e) International conferences and

seminars

• a) National course trainings:-for local Forest industry, -can use local forest tree species

and cultivars. Teaching can be precise and detailed.

• b) International courses : more difficult because it is impossible to consider

-all the forest species, and -all the ecological, economic and

political situations.

• c) Regional trainings : -probably most appropriate for

technical managers, -advantage of being conducted in

similar (and therefore familiar) surroundings, lower costs, similar silvicultural practices, social and cultural similarities and tree crop relevances.

• d) Overseas trainings:whether it is a short course or an academic course, occurs most frequently in educational institutions in developed countries.

• e) International conferences and seminars :-held in countries with advanced Forest Genetics programs, -attendance is expensive, -difficult to obtain,-presumably restricted to staff with leadership roles or leadership potential.

• Type:

critical : that the type of training offered is the “best-fit” option for the trainee’s likely role within the National Forestry in the next 5 to 10 years.

• Training programs success, particularly in developing countries will be judged on:-its relevance, -practical emphasis, -local forest tree species emphasis, -linkage with local manpower and facilities, -skill level development, and -confidence boosting.

• Training strategy:-very few S.E-Asian people specifically involved in Forest Tree Breeding Technology or Forest Tree Genetics in general, -importance of building a critical mass of trained people in a country, and -need for a training strategy, rather than a piecemeal approach to nomination for training.

• Where the training is done is less important than the quality and relevance of the training. Some subjects can be learned as well in one place as in another e.g. wood production and certification procedures ...

• Subjects: priority given to the need for workshop and/or seminars on :-in situ conservation, -technology for gene conservation, -seed testing and certification; -management of seed production and harvesting, -forest insect control, forest seed quality,…

CONCLUSIONS:

• Education and training is-not the answer to our problem, -but only the beginning of the answer.

• The weakest link is-not money, facilities or the training, -but the transfer of that education and training.

• Effective technology transfer requires -not only relevant training in the first place, -but : .retention of those staff in the education &research institutions once trained , and .infrastructural incentives designed to support the dissemination of the skills and knowledge gained.

• Variations in perceived values of the Project were evident between countries: -Indonesia : practically effective at integrating opportunities for overseas training into their development plans for the Forest Genetics sector, -It is important to learn from these sustained successes.

• A critical additional dimension:a clear demand for both

-ongoing support of existing educational curriculum,-and continued overseas training opportunities in Forest Genetics Research Institutions for junior staff of developing countries.

• EU can no longer afford to activate training programs without the financial backing of other organizations.

• We might solicit financial support from international (IFS, FAO, DANIDA, ADB) and regional Forest Genetics organizations (APFORGEN...) to develop joint Forest Tree Breeding Technology training courses on a regular basis.

• We should commit ourselves in ensuring that the FGR training effort is an ongoing success.

No doubt that -the education and training of FGR, -the development of this effort into a complete and workable–package are still a strong candidate

for substantial regional cooperation and effort.