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 Irrigated Rice Research Consortium
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IRRC's accidental tourist
Professor Bo was raised on a rice farm but he did not foresee in those early days that he would become an agricultural scientist. His academic life in the agricultural sciences began when he passed a national exam for the opportunity to do degree training in Russia. This was in 1971 when Vietnam was in the grip of conflict. Times were difficult, with limited electricity and often not enough food to eat. Only two students were selected to go abroad from his cohort at his school in Hanoi. He was delighted to have the opportunity to study abroad and to continue his learning. He set off in 1972 from Hanoi to get his degree—it took 23 days by train to reach Moscow. This included a 1-week health check after he entered Russia. In 1978, he returned also by train but it took him only 10 days! In the 1970s, Russia was a great place for Vietnamese students because they were highly respected by the Russians. He lived with a Russian student during his first year and this helped him to learn the Russian language. He subsequently returned to Russia (1985-88) to undertake a Ph.D. at Moscow State University. He conducted research on organic matter in paddy rice with a special interest in heavy metals. Professor Bo has a long relationship with the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC), dating back to 1997 when he was a member of the first Steering Committee of the IRRC. The IRRC was then coordinated by the current director general of IRRI, Dr. Bob Zeigler! Prof. Bo is very excited to again take an active role as a Steering Committee member of Phase 3 of the IRRC. He is a strong champion of the IRRC because of its role in integrating knowledge in natural resource management and then facilitating the sharing of this knowledge across countries in Asia. He offered two IRRC research highlights from the past decade. The first is the progress in the science of nutrient management that has led to a balance in the use of different nutrients, which, in turn, has corrected the high rates of nitrogen application in some regions and provided clear direction on when to apply different nutrients. His second highlight is the impact of IRRC research on all facets of the production chain through the pooling of technologies across different stages of crop development and elements of rice production. And, for the future of Vietnam’s rice production, he is keen to see that water management has a greater involvement now that the irrigation infrastructure is in good shape. Outside of agriculture, Prof. Bo likes to relax by watching soccer. He is a great fan of Manchester United. However, he likes to watch any games of the English Premier League. His interest in soccer began at the university, where he once played soccer as a defender. His other main interests are traveling and photography. He feels that he has been very fortunate that his career in agriculture has enabled him to travel to every province in Vietnam, where he enjoys interacting with farmers and learning about the culture of different ethnic groups. His career also has enabled him to visit more than 20 countries. During his travels, Prof. Bo collects small souvenirs that are iconic to the country he has visited. These punctuate his walls and cabinets at home and work. They are pleasant reminders of his travel and have been carefully selected to capture the essence of the country he has visited. Prof. Bo delights in capturing his travel on film. Yes, film. Although he has a digital camera, he also has three SLR cameras and still takes photographs using film. As befitting his scientific career, he places a high price on quality and one cannot get the same quality image using digital cameras. It is this combination of attention to detail, with an appreciation of the greater picture, that has served him well in his role as the inaugural director of VAAS. VAAS has been developed from an idea, with no previous model to work from, to a dynamic collection of 10 institutes that employ 1,770 permanent staff. And, in 2008, it will expand to 15 institutes and 2,500 staff. He is very proud of the “family atmosphere” he has created at VAAS that has broken down disciplinary barriers and generated lots of energy through new cross-discipline partnerships. We are fortunate to have Prof. Bo as a member of the IRRC Steering Committee. His vision and actions to break down discipline barriers, to create and energize new teams, and his appreciation of different cultures from his many travels make this accidental tourist a tremendous ambassador of the aims and vision of the IRRC for not only Vietnam, but for the whole Asian region.
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On
the surface, Professor Nguyen Van Bo is a serious man who has many things to
think about in his influential position as the first director of the Vietnamese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS). I traveled with him recently from Hanoi
to Can Tho in the Mekong River Delta for the 30th Anniversary of the Cuu Long
Rice Research Institute. I was fortunate to experience his enjoyment of meeting
people and sharing stories over delightful Vietnamese cuisine. He has a wide
circle of friends in the agricultural sciences. Upon meeting former
acquaintances, his face transforms itself from one strewn with worry lines that
map the many Mekong tributaries to one of pure joy—as if he is a poor farmer
having just reaped a 7-ton harvest. 
