UH Hilo, NCERC partner to form the ALAKA’I Project
Summary
Through funding provided by BioMADE, the University of Hawai’i at Hilo (UH Hilo) and the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) have partnered to form “ALAKA’I”, Applied Life-Science Academy: Knowledge Advancing Industry, a project that establishes a bioeconomy academy to accelerate climate change solutions by developing industry-relevant training for delivery in Hawaii and across the United States. ALAKA’I curriculum will draw on traditional Hawaiian and Pacific Island cultural perspectives to provide insights and guiding principles for effective sustainability. The partnership will draw from the technical expertise of the research team at NCERC, which has a long-standing reputation for providing unparalleled workforce training programs for students pursuing careers in the bioeconomy, and James DeKloe, PhD, a consultant in Vacaville, California. UH Hilo brings deep Hawaiian and Pacific Island perspectives on sustainability that influence the state’s commitment to carbon neutrality and provide guidance to beneficially implement the anticipated $4 trillion bioeconomy. “Bioeconomy solutions are critical to address climate change, stop digging up more fossil fuels, and most importantly bring economic development to people who have been bypassed by prior technology-driven wealth creation,” DeKloe said.