UNEBS/AARES NE Branch Seminar Invitation on Thursday 19th March at 15:00PM LT1

Professor Ray Collins

School of Land and Food Sciences, University of Queensland

Seminar Title:   Value in Collaboration: Opportunities for Closer Links between Schools of Business and Schools of Agriculture

Abstract

In most universities, greater collaboration between Schools of Business and Schools of Agriculture would increase opportunities to attract competitive research funding and attract more students. This seminar first explores why collaboration has not been the norm, then briefly presents value chain management as a promising framework for building collaborative research teams, and finally discusses what benefits can flow to individuals, schools and universities from greater collaboration. Case studies from current research are used to illustrate the principles involved.

Ray Collins is Professor of Agribusiness in the School of Land and Food Sciences at The University of Queensland and has had visiting appointments at the University of Tasmania and Huazhong Agricultural University in China. His research focuses on agribusiness competitiveness through alliances and value chain strategies, with special interests in new industries, fresh food products, developing countries and the markets of Asia. More than $5m of research grants over the last 10 years have allowed him to examine the application of value chain management approaches to economic development in Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines, while the work of his PhD students has extended these concepts to China, Kenya, Nepal, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada and Australia.

Ray chaired the Federal Government’s $35m Rural Food Processors Innovation and Productivity Program and for 10 years was Advisory Board member of the government’s New Industries Development Program and Industry Partnerships Program.

Ray has more than 100 publications and has graduated about 20 PhD and 30 Masters students. He has also been the recipient of awards for excellence in teaching, research and international collaboration, and was co-recipient of an Australian Teaching Award for linking education with the needs of industry.