| Abstract |
"On this, the 22nd day of September, 1986, I formally inaugurate the Norman E. Borlaug Building, dedicated to training agricultural scientists from all over the world." With these words, Miguel de la Madrid, President of Mexico, formally dedicated the new training, conference, and information center that bears Norman E. Borlaug's name. The building is the gift of the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation and the Government of Japan, and its function is to promote the training of Third World Agricultural Scientists and the exchange of information among all groups served by CIMMYT. The distinguished guests who gathered to commemorate CIMMYT's founding and honor Norman Borlaug also came together to affirm their continuing commitment to the goals of CIMMYT. One common note sounded by speakers at the celebrations was an acknowledgement of the considerable achievements of the past. But a cautionary note was evident in their words as well. The speakers-colleagues, benefactors, and collaborators from outside the Center, as well as Center staff-emphasized the necessity of moving forward, of consolidating and expanding upon past accomplishments by thoroughly preparing for future demands on CIMMYT's services and resources. Many participants in the opening ceremonies acknowledged that the challenges the Center will face in its next two decades are even more formidable than those of the past twenty years, and that the global community of agricultural development specialists will have to marshal all of its knowledge and energy to confront those challenges. The new training facility at CIMMYT reflects an awareness that continued development of human resources is essential if the demands of the future are to be met. The aid of donors and of colleagues in national programs is also instrumental to future success, and the guests who arrived to celebrate the 20th anniversary once again affirmed their commitment to CIMMYT's work and to that of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Their words, reproduced here, are but one token of their faith in CIMMYT and, more important, in the future of the Third World. |
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