Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station is serving as an incubator for fledgling researchers from all over the globe, setting a high international standard for meat and livestock research.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Member for Cootamundra and Parliamentary Secretary for Southern NSW, Katrina Hodgkinson welcomed scientists from China and Italy to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) station on Tuesday.
Ms Hodgkinson said the visits by international scientists and students are welcomed as an important tool in the interaction with major Australian trading partners.
"The Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development based at the Cowra Agricultural Research Station has a long and impressive research record in the improvement of the Australian meat industry," Ms Hodgkinson said.
"The centre's ability to attract PhD students to Cowra is testament to the world-class science and research being conducted by DPI staff."
Senior principal research scientist and Meat Science journal editor-in-chief Dr David Hopkins said the station's international profile attracts many students hoping to further their own research projects with the help of the Australian team.
Visitors are also taught how to write and present research papers in English, which gives them a better chance of having their research published.
"People don't come here because we solicit them, they come here [because of our] reputation," Dr Hopkins said.
"The skills that we try to impart on our employees and our international students is about helping them navigate the publishing process.
He said his journal had 1000 submissions last year, of which 90 per cent were rejected.
"That's a huge cost, because some of those papers will never get published. There's obviously an investment in that work and if you can't get it published, then it's a massive waste," Dr Hopkins said.
"The Cowra Agricultural Research Station has a credible and enviable reputation internationally in meat science research, and we are happy to share our success."
University of Milan PhD student Dr Gianluca Baldi has spent the last two weeks at the Cowra station under the tutelage of Dr Hopkins.
He's studying how oxidation can improve meat tenderness as part of a joint project with the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney as well as the NSW and Victorian departments of primary industries.
"Everyone here helped me to improve my knowledge. I've had a really nice time, even if it has been really short," Mr Baldi said.
"I'm really satisfied with this part of my Australian experience."
Dr Yanwei Mao from Shandong Agricultural University in China is in Cowra for one year with his family to delve further into meat science research.
"Australian red meat is the best in the world, and China has a lot to learn in terms of beef quality," Dr Mao said.
"As part of my studies and research, I want to learn how to improve meat quality and tenderness, and then take that knowledge with me back to China to work on reinventing our meat industry."
Luca Campidonico, from the University of Catanina in Italy, is currently working in Cowra as part of a three-month exchange, focusing on animal science and meat production.
"Australia, and in particular Cowra, has a reputation for being a world-leader in the research and science of meat production, and the effect of feeding on meat traits," Mr Campidonico said.
"The University of Catanina and the DPI Cowra Agricultural Research Station have a fantastic working relationship, and this trip is an integral part of completing my International PhD and a good opportunity to learn from some of the best in their fields.
"It is a wonderful opportunity to work in the research field and take a closer look at animal science in terms of meat production, and take this knowledge back to Italy, and put it to good use."