100 people attended the event, which was held in conjunction with the regular autumn meeting of IDRC’s Board of Governors.
IDRC Chairman Barbara McDougall, who presided, presented a general overview of the Centre’s operations. She highlighted IDRC’s long track record of adapting its activities to reflect changing issues and concerns in the developing world.
In a lively talk, IDRC Governor Ahmed Galal, who is based in Cairo, compared IDRC and the political events known as the Arab Spring in terms of the quest for knowledge and new ideas. He also delivered warm words about IDRC’s efficiency and its extensive global outreach. As he put it, IDRC is “the best investment Canada can make.”
Kevin Tiessen, senior program officer in IDRC’s Agriculture and Environment area, then briefed participants on the world food crisis and the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund, IDRC’s collaboration partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency to reduce hunger in developing countries.
Finally, IDRC President David Malone detailed the many other large donor partnerships that IDRC has pursued during more than four decades of funding development research.
