Professor André Drenth, a world-renowned plant pathologist from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland in Australia, recently visited FABI for the annual Hans Merensky Chair in Avocado Research student symposium. During his visit, members of the Macadamia Protection Programme (MaPP) had the opportunity to engage with him. Prof. Gerda Fourie opened the meeting with an overview of the programme and provided an update on the group’s interactions with the R&D Committee of Macadamias South Africa NPC (SAMAC) and local macadamia growers. This was followed by a discussion of the individual research projects of each student in the group. Prof. André Drenth offered valuable insights and guidance on the team’s ongoing projects, which prompted productive discussions on future research directions related to macadamia pests and diseases. The conversation also explored ways to enhance science communication with industry partners. The MaPP team extends sincere thanks to Prof. André for his time, thoughtful advice, and encouragement. We look forward to continued interactions with him and strengthening our collaboration with researchers at the University of Queensland.