International Rice Research Institute
Message from the Director General
The year 2021 was a time of transition for IRRI in more ways than one.
The big transition was one that everyone around the world had to make, as the pandemic entered its second year and forced all nations, organizations, and individuals to discover and adapt to a “new normal” way of working and living. The other big change is the ongoing One CGIAR transition, where IRRI and 11 other centers scattered around the globe are being integrated into one unified system, with all the attendant adjustments that such a transformation entails.
Message from the Director for Research
The drive to move forward in pandemic circumstances
The year 2021 was a “wildcard” year for IRRI, and for most of the world, after the global shockwave from the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020. The fallout from the economic upheaval, social turmoil, and uncertainty left the world seemingly suspended in time, a year into the unprecedented health crisis. While hoping that the worst had passed, we were left wondering and waiting for what the pandemic would bring. This forced us to face every day with educated guesswork: do we take the next steps in our endeavors or do we continue to be on the safe side?
