On Friday, 24 April 2020, ICRISAT has ‘virtually’ welcomed their new Director General Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes. Due to current circumstances, Dr Hughes took over from outgoing DG Dr Peter Carberry via an institute-wide video conference. It is a privilege for us to have Jackie on board for her proven agricultural research leadership and management expertise in a career spanning more than three decades in Asia, Africa, and Europe. In the context of the hashtag#OneCGIAR move, we are confident that her experience in leadership roles in important CGIAR centers will make the transition smooth. Looking forward to working with her to deliver on ICRISAT’s critical mission to serve farm families in the semi-arid tropics, and to fulfill the vision of creating a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics.

A natural leader and experienced researcher, Dr Hughes, a British national, holds invaluable insight to the world of agricultural science, research and development. Throughout her career, she has taken on ever more challenging roles, having risen through the ranks of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, moving then to the position of Deputy Director General for Research at the World Vegetable Center in Taiwan, before assuming her most recent role as Deputy Director General for Research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Her work and that of the teams which she has led has delivered significant impact across Africa and Asia, improving the livelihoods of some of the poorest communities. She has gained invaluable insight into the world of international agricultural research, overseeing a diverse number of programes encompassing numerous issues such as strategic innovation, sustainable impact and cross-cutting research support.

Source- Icrisat