During the event, each of the 2003-2004 UNU-Kirin Fellows - Mr. Tian Jiesheng (China), Dr. Ravi Bhushan Tiwari (India), Dr. S V N Vijayendra (India), Ms. Saowaluk Rungchang (Thailand), and Ms. Do Thi Huyen (Viet Nam) - will present a summary of his or her research results. The presentations will be followed by the awards ceremony in which Prof. Yozo Yokota, Special Adviser to the Rector, UNU, Dr. Koichiro Aramaki, President of Kirin Brewery Company Ltd., and Dr. Kazuki Shinohara, Vice-President of NFRI, will offer congratulatory remarks. The 2004-2005 UNU-Kirin Fellows (from India, Mongolia, Thailand, and Viet Nam) will also be introduced. A copy of the programme is attached.

The goal of the UNU-Kirin Fellowship Programme is to build up the capacity of food research institutions throughout Asia. The programme has been operating since 1993 with annual contributions from Japan's Kirin Brewery Company. Each year, five top scientists from developing countries in Asia come to Japan for a full year of research and training at NFRI. An effective and innovative feature of the programme is that financial support is also provided to the home institutions of the UNU-Kirin Fellows, thereby enabling them to continue their research and teach their fellow countrymen.

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend the 2 April presentations and award ceremony. For further information, please contact UNU Communications Department at (03) 5467-1243.