ISAAA June 26, 2024

Figure: New Chair of ISAAA Board of Trustee

ISAAA Inc. recognizes Dr. Paul S. Teng who has been the Chair of ISAAA Board of Trustees from 2013 to June 1, 2024. Dr. Teng has been the Dean and Managing Director of the National Institute of Education International at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore since 2018. He previously held other leadership positions at the same institute since 2004. Prior to joining NTU, Dr. Teng was Deputy Director-General, WorldFish Center, Program Leader at IRRI and a Plant Pathology professor at the University of Minnesota and the University of Hawaii, consecutively.

Dr. Teng has been instrumental in promoting the significant role of biotechnology and other biosciences in addressing food security challenges, especially in developing countries, creating impactful contributions not just in Southeast Asia but for the rest of the world. In April 2024, Dr. Teng published a book titled Food Security Issues in Asia which highlights discussions on the current production state and future trends of important food in Asia, such as rice, vegetables, and fish.

As Dr. Teng steps down as the Chair of ISAAA Board of Trustees, ISAAA Inc. welcomes Dr. William D. Dar, former Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), as the new Chair of ISAAA Board of Trustees. During his term as the DA Secretary under President Joseph Estrada's administration (1998-1999), the agricultural sector of the Philippines recorded a 9.6% growth, an achievement that has never been achieved until today. He also served as the DA Secretary during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte from August 2019 to June 2022, with the vision of a food-secure and resilient country with empowered farmers and fisherfolks.

In 2016, Dr. Dar received The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award for his exemplary servant- leadership, which was instrumental in transforming the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), making the institute one of the top-performing centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). As the Director General of ICRISAT for 15 years, Dr. Dar promoted and established the Inclusive Market-Oriented Development (IMOD), which empowered farmers to actively participate in improving their welfare.

Download Food Security Issues in Asia by Dr. Teng. For inquiries, please send an email to knowledge.center@isaaa.org.