Kinzang Gyeltshen was the Regional Programme Coordinator of Consortium for Scaling-up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) Project. He led the multi-country project in identifying Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and scaling-up of viable CSA interventions through national policies and programs in South Asian countries. His main area of interest includes climate change, sustainable natural resource management in agricultural systems, landscape management, community-based resource management, and environmental management systems.

He has previously served as Senior Program Specialist (Natural Resource Management) at SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC). He was responsible for promoting innovative techniques in good agricultural practices and providing inputs in developing regional policies, strategies, and projects in South Asia. Prior to joining SAC, Kinzang was the Chief Forestry Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan. He played a significant role in establishing a sustainable forest management system and mainstreaming environment and rural livelihoods components in the forest management regime during his two decades of service in the government systems. He holds an MSc in Environmental Management and Development from The Australian National University and a Postgraduate in Environmental Management from Murdoch University, Western Australia.

Dr. Rumana Azad is currently working as a Project Program Officer for the Consortium for Scaling-Up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) Project at SAARC Agriculture Centre. Her major responsibilities include project monitoring and evaluation, coordinating with partners, compiling progress reports, assisting in preparation of project work plans, and facilitating effective communication among stakeholders. She plays a vital role in assisting with the timely execution of project components, maintaining documentation, and supporting event coordination.

Dr. Azad earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Botany from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Department of Agricultural Biology, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka in 2017. Her research contributions focus on studying genetic diversity of cultivated cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) germplasm in Sri Lanka.

Following her Ph.D., she worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at National Institute of Biotechnology (NIB), Bangladesh. Dr. Azad also worked as an Independent Biotechnologist at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland, where she contributed to the project focused on the identification, characterization and mapping of genes of rye (Secale cereale) related to resistance to brown rust caused by Puccinia recondita f. sp. secalis.

Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a proven track record of publications and presentations and has been dedicated to advancing biotechnological applications for agriculture, contributing to scientific research and progress.

Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Azad has a deep passion for playing the violin and photography, which allow her to express her creativity and appreciation for the arts alongside her scientific endeavours.

Robyul Islam was the Programme Officer of the Consortium for Scaling-Up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) Project at the SAARC Agriculture Centre. His core responsibilities were to carry out monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, prepare progress reports, assist in the preparation of work plan and coordination with the SAARC Member States as well as with the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Prior to joining the project, he worked as a Scientific Officer of the NATP-II project at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh for three years. He also worked as a Research Associate and Research Student in the Molecular Breeding Lab of Plant Breeding Division of BARI, and the Department of Biotechnology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Bangladesh, respectively. Moreover, he has published over 15 research articles in plant molecular sciences in renowned high-impact national and international journals. Robyul holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and a BS in Agriculture from BSMRAU.

Shazahan Islam is the Finance Officer of the Consortium for Scaling-Up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) Project at the SAARC Agriculture Centre. His core responsibilities are to ensure an efficient accounting system, a reliable internal control procedure, financial reporting, and recordkeeping including the management and reconciliation of the account.

He has 15 years of work experience in different agencies in Bangladesh. Prior to joining the project, he worked as a Junior Consultant-Accounts in Municipal Governance and Services Project under Bangladesh Municipal Development Fund, a company under the Ministry of Finance. He also worked as an Accountant in Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project under Dhaka WASA and in partner organizations funded by International Development Organization like Plan International Bangladesh, Concern Worldwide, and CARE Bangladesh as an Accounts and Administration Officer. Shazahan holds a Master’s degree in Management from National University and MBA degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Bangladesh Open University, Dhaka.