The PROSEA project (Plant Resources of Southeast Asia)

The major task facing the PROSEA project during the period 1987-1990 is to lay a sound basis for the Implementation Phase 1991-1995, while at the same time concrete results have to be produced. The project will achieve this by internationalization, documentation, consultation, and publication. Internationalization. — PROSEA is trying to establish a network of cooperating institutions in Southeast Asia, which will act as centres of activity for PROSEA in the respective countries. Main objectives are to gather existing information and expertise on the plant resources. Each centre will have a country officer paid by PROSEA. Missions were held to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. The following institutes agreed to become a coordinating agency for PROSEA: — Thailand: The Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) at Bangkok. — Malaysia: FRIM at Kepong, MARDI at Serdang or Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (decision not yet taken by the institutes). — Indonesia: The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) at Jakarta. LIPI has designated the Centre for Research and Development in Biology in Bogor as the executing agency, where also the headquarters of the field network will be housed. Dr. J.S. Siemonsma will be the coordinator for PROSEA (operational summer 1988). — The Philippines: The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) at Los Baños. — Papua New Guinea: The Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Lae.