Prof. Giorgio Venturieri is leaving Australia for sessions with researchers, beekeepers, agricultural stakeholders, faculty and students at the International Symposium on Stingless and Honey Bees 2026 at Cebu Technological University (CTU) Tuburan.
Apart from demonstrating his lifework on stingless bee species and pollination systems, Prof. Ventureiri will significantly streamline how these pollinators support crop production such as açaí which is cultivated in parts of South America.
The University of Sunshine Coast academic, who also has multiple connections in Brazil, encouraged CTU Internationalization and ASEAN Integration (IAI) Director Dr. Rhodora Magan in a dialog yesterday to promote açaí as one of the institution’s research agenda.
He noted that conditions in the Philippines may support pilot studies and suggested coordination among agriculture researchers across campuses in Argao, Barili, CCMSC, and Tuburan.
The IAI director spoke about how his volunteerism in sharing expertise contributes to the institution’s broader push to create societal impact through internationalization.
Strengthening ties with groups such as Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Brazil’s leading government research institution for agriculture, is seen as a step toward joint research initiatives and potential access to external funding and technical support.
In fact, the Brazilian academic has already requested from Dr. Magan a proposal that he could endorse to the Brazilian government—one he could take after leaving the venue on May 25.
The symposium also features contributions from BEENET Philippines and Al Bustan Farm, focusing on sustainable beekeeping practices and enterprise development./IAI
