UK Chief Scientific Officer engages with Crops for Future, and UNMC
On 14 December 2015, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) had the privilege to host Professor Robin Grimes, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), for a high level meeting with Crops for Future (CFF) as well as the five UK universities in Malaysia (the UK5).
The event commenced with a briefing by Professor Sayad Azam-Ali (CEO of CFF), which focused on the Conference of Parties (COP21) and Global Action Plan for Agriculture and Diversification (GAPAD) and also provided an overview of the research being undertaken by CFF and their vision for the future. Professor Grimes was also given a tour of the CFF domes, and their research facilities.
A round table discussion was chaired by Professor Christine Ennew, CEO and Provost of UNMC and attended by Professor Robin Grimes, alongside Professor Sayed Azam-Ali, Professor Stephen Doughty, Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning UNMC; Professor Graham Kendall, Vice Provost of Research and Knowledge Transfer, UNMC; Professor Robert Craik, Provost and CEO, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia; Dr Kenny McKeegan, Dean of Academic Affairs, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia; Dr Carmel Houston-Price, Academic Director of Research, University of Reading 
Malaysia; Matthew Deith, Head, Political and Economic Counsellor, British High Commission to Malaysia and Lee Ching Heong, Science and Innovation Officer, British High Commission to Malaysia.
The meeting was an insightful discussion of Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) agendas, priorities, future of Netwon and some thoughts on the Comprehensive Spending Review. A member from each of the UK5 briefly introduced their institution’s current activities and priorities. The round table enabled attendees of each institution to get a better understanding of the FCO, their role and responsibilities and how the UK5 could better engage with the FCO and the UK government.
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More information available from Professor Graham Kendall at graham.kendall@nottingham.edu.my
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