1^st International Research Symposium
"Global Trends towards Technopreneurial Development"  January 19 - 21, 2017

Professor Buddhi Marambe is a graduate of from University of Peradeniya, who obtained the B.Sc. Agriculture degree in 1985 with Second Class Upper Division Honours. He obtained the M.Agr. in 1991 and D.Agr. in 1993 from the Hiroshima University, Japan in the field of Plant Environmental Sciences. His research interests include weed science, climate change and food security. He has 30 years of service as an academic attached to the Department of Crop Science of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He was the Lecturer-in-Charge of the University Experimental Station (1994-1997), Head of the Department of Crop Science (2001-2003), Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture (2003-2009) and Director of the Agriculture Education Unit (AEU; 2009-2015) of the University of Peradeniya.

Currently he is the Chairman of the Board of Study in Crop Science of the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA), Chairman of the National Invasive Species Group (NISSG) and Chairman of the National Experts Committee on Climate Change Adaptation (NECCCA) of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, and a member of the Governing Council of the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka appointed by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Professor Marambe also served as a member of the Research Advisory Board of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Chairman of the National Plant Protection committee (NPPC) of Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP). He is also a member of the Government Delegation in climate negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Professor Marambe has published more than 90 research publications and 10 popular articles in his fields of study, and the principal investigator or project coordinator of six multi-country projects supported by international donor agencies. He has provided his services as a National Consultant to the World Bank, UNDP, FAO and CIAT in nationally and internationally important issues related to agriculture.

Professor Marambe was the President of the Asia Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS), the professional scientific body of the weed scientists in the Asia-Pacific region, for the period 2005-2007. He also serves as a non-working member in the Board of Directors of CIC Holdings PLC, Link Natural Products (Pvt) Ltd. and Right Brain Networks (RBN).

Professor Kirsten Benkendorff obtained her Bachelor of Science degree with first class honor grade from department of Biological Sciencess, Macquarie University in 1994. After that she completed her Doctor of Philosophy at university of Wollongong in 1999. Professor Benkendorff is currently professor in Environment, Science and Engineering of Southern Cross University, Australia. Benkendorff's research program is focused on the bio resource value of marine molluscs. She has made significant contributions towards the development of marine molluscs as indicators for assessing human impacts on intertidal reefs. She has developed a suite of assays for assessing disease resistance in molluscs to reduce mortality in aquaculture and predict the effects of global climate change. She is also investigating the development of marine molluscs for human medicine and has identified a promising anticancer agent that is currently undergoing preclinical trials. Dr Benkendorff is the Vice president of the Australasian Malacological Society. Dr Benkendorff has published 81 peer reviewed scientific journal articles and six invited book chapters ( H index = 17; 68 papers cited = 611 times. )

 

Professor Cheorun Jo is currently professor of Agricultural Biotechnology at Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. He is a muscle food scientist and his research interest is the production of value-added high quality products of animal origin. He obtained his first degree B.S. Animal Science in 1991 and M.S. Muscle Food Science in 1994 from Seoul National University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

 

Professor Li Cheng is a Professor of Tourism Management at the School of Tourism in Sichuan University. He is the present Director at Research Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Tourism Research and Development and the founder of Center for South Asian Infrastructure Development Research Unit. Prof. Li is also the Editor in Chief of International Journal of Tourism Anthropology. His research interests are tourism and sustainable development, community development through tourism and cultural and heritage tourism.