RINA marks official launch

Although established in 2022, the Research Institute for Northern Agriculture (RINA) marked its official launch at Charles Darwin University's (CDU) Casuarina Campus on April 30, 2024, spotlighting the institute’s research prowess and expanding influence in the sector. This event marked the institute’s growth and notable milestones as of 2024 – such as a full team of academic staff, a number of ongoing projects, its first cohort of PhD candidates, and its very own website.

Around 50 distinguished stakeholders and partners graced the launch, among them the Honourable Mark Monaghan, Minister for Agribusiness and Fisheries in the Northern Territory Government, who delivered the keynote address. Notable speakers also included Prof. Scott Bowman, Vice Chancellor and President of CDU, and Prof. Steve Rogers, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research & Innovation at CDU. The event was hosted by Prof. Maxine Piggott, Program Leader of RINA and Professor of Tropical Biosecurity.

In attendance were RINA’s academic staff, comprising Prof. Maxine Piggott, Prof. Sunil Kadri, Prof. Stephen Xu, Assoc. Prof. Beth Penrose and Research Fellow, Dr. Yujuan (Jady) Li, alongside RINA's PhD candidates: Waseem Ahmed, Jyothi Bhandari, Tomoko Okazaki, Pablo Arriaga Velasco Aceves, and Andrea Taylor.

RINA's mission is to foster the advancement of the broader industry and its sustainable economic development by cultivating research excellence at CDU to tackle the research, technical, and innovation challenges facing northern Australia’s agricultural and aquaculture sectors.

Backed by funding from the Australian Government Department of Education via its Regional Research Collaboration (RRC) Program and in collaboration with various industries such as NT Farmers, NT Cattlemen’s Association, and NT Seafood Council, as well as academic institutions like James Cook University, Central Queensland University, and Murdoch University, along with the Northern Territory Government (NTG), RINA is poised to champion the growth agenda of primary industries. This includes supporting First Nations enterprises and fostering sustainable development.