“Mr Asian Science Leader” He Is To Me

How many lifetimes has PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar lived so far? You don’t know but as of today, Mr Dar has received 3 lifetime awards in science leadership, that is, in 2010, 2014, and 2020.

I have been following Mr Dar’s career since January 2007, when he made me a work-from-home, WFH, international consultant of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, ICRISAT, based in India, when he was Director General, 2000-2014.

3^rd Lifetime Achievement Award
Today, from a press release of the Department of Agriculture, DA, where he is Chief, I learned that Mr Dar received yesterday, 20 November 2020, the “Lifetime Excellence Award” given by the Asia Leaders Awards, ALA. According to its website (Asia Leaders Awards.asia), the ALA is meant[1]:

To acknowledge these leaders who are making a difference not only in their respective fields but also promoting the Philippines as the premier business hub in Asia and beyond.

Mr Dar is not a businessman but in advancing PH Agriculture like never before with his call for “The New Thinking for Agriculture,” he is indeed “promoting the Philippines as a business hub in Asia and beyond.” The news from the DA says this award was “in recognition of his over four decades of dedicated servant leadership to attain food security, both in the Philippines and in other parts of the world.” He inspires.

2^ndLifetime Achievement Award
Mr Dar’s 2^nd Lifetime Achievement Award was from the “7^thAgriculture Leadership Summit” held in India 27 September 2014 (“ICRISAT DG gets Lifetime Achievement Award At Agriculture Leadership Summit[2],” Ruralmarketing.in). It was he who brought ICRISAT from dead last to #1 among the 15 CGIAR international centers being its Team Captain & Servant Leader.

1^stLifetime Achievement Award
Mr Dar’s 1^st leadership award was the “PSAI Lifetime Achievement Award” from the PCARRD Scholars Association Inc, PSAI, given 09 November 2010[3] (ICRISAT Happenings, Icrisat.org). Mr Dar had been an innovative Executive Director of Philippine Council for Agriculture & Resources Research & Development, PCARRD.

More on the 3^rd Lifetime Achievement Award, more properly called “Lifetime Excellence Award” – According to the DA source, this was “in recognition of his over four decades of dedicated servant leadership.” I say that includes being Director of the Philippine Bureau of Agricultural Research, 1987-1994; Executive Director of PCARRD, 1994-1998; and earlier PH Secretary of Agriculture 1998-1999.

As head of ICRISAT, Mr Dar worked with this slogan: “Science with a human face.” His science leadership was dedicated to the poor from the start, as he comes from a poor family in Ilocos Sur. He is the epitome of a poor boy who made good in his country as well as abroad.

In his acceptance speech of the Asia Leaders Awards 2020, Mr Dar emphasized:

I’m very thankful for recognizing my efforts — and the collective achievements of the Department of Agriculture (DA) — thus far.

For all that, this WFH is saying, Mr Dar deserves the title “Mr Asian Science Leader.” There’s more to expect where it’s all coming from!@517

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[1]https://asialeadersawards.asia/about

[2]https://ruralmarketing.in/stories/icrisat-dg-gets-lifetime-achievement-award-at-agriculture-leadership-summit/

[3]http://www.icrisat.org/newsroom/latest-news/happenings/happenings1440.htm#9