On the morning of October 10, one of the thematic forums of the 2024 World Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Conference, the World Agricultural University Presidents Forum, was held at the Jinhai Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center in Pinggu District, Beijing. Sun Qixin, Co-Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Conference and President of China Agricultural University, Tang Hailong, Secretary of the Pinggu District Party Committee, Wei Xubin, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and Xin Xian, Li Peijing, Shan Jiguo, leaders of China Agricultural University, attended the forum. Du Taisheng, vice president of China Agricultural University, presided over the forum.
This forum is an important part of the 2024 World Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Conference. Representatives from nearly 30 universities, research institutes and international institutions at home and abroad attended the meeting. With the purpose of "Innovating Agriculture for a Shared Future", the World Conference on Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation focuses on cutting-edge innovation in the transformation of the global agri-food system, deeply promotes the interaction between industry, academia and research and international exchanges and cooperation, and is committed to building an agricultural "Davos". Since the successful holding of 2023WAFI, it has won high recognition from colleagues at home and abroad, and is known as one of the three major agricultural events in the world. On the basis of the success of the first time last year, the 2024 World Congress on Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation has optimized the overall framework and mode of the conference, planned a series of WAFI Season activities, with the theme of "Climate Change and Agri-Food System Transformation", in the form of "1+5+N+1", 5 thematic conferences, N parallel sessions and 1 World Agricultural Science and Technology Frontier Exhibition.
Sun Qixin, Tang Hailong and others attended the forum and signed in
Tang Hailong, Secretary of the Pinggu District Party Committee, delivered a speech
On behalf of the Pinggu District Party Committee and District Government, Tang Hailong extended a warm welcome to the guests and congratulated the holding of the forum. He pointed out that Pinggu District is making every effort to build a highland for the R&D and transformation of agricultural science and technology, as well as industries and talents in the agricultural field, and looks forward to working with global partners to promote university scientific research, promote the common development of technology and talents, and create a better future for agricultural science and technology innovation.
Wei Xubin, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, delivered a speech
In his speech, Wei Xubin pointed out that the Beijing Municipal Education Commission is actively promoting the construction of agricultural Zhongguancun with high-quality educational resources in the capital, further promoting the integrated development of agricultural education, science and technology, and talents, and striving to build agricultural Zhongguancun into a pilot demonstration area for the international development of agriculture-related higher education.
Arthur Mol, former President of Wageningen University and Research Centre, Netherlands gave an invited talk on "Green Life Sciences University: Frontiers". In the report, he called on global agricultural universities to continue to innovate, cross boundaries and explore frontiers, and jointly promote the development of green life sciences.
Chen Fadi, President of Nanjing Agricultural University, made a special report on "Thinking and Practice of Promoting the Integrated Reform of Education, Science and Technology Talents". In the report, he deeply analyzed the opportunities and challenges of the current higher agriculture and forestry education, and put forward the importance and practical path of the comprehensive reform of education, science and technology, and talents.
Li Lin, Senior Vice President & President of Greater China, Elsevier, released the "Report on the Innovation Contribution of Agricultural and Biotechnology in Global Universities and Research Institutions".
The Report on the Contribution of Agricultural and Biotechnology Innovation from Global Universities and Scientific Research Institutions comprehensively summarizes the hot topics and major contributing institutions of global agricultural scientific research from 2019 to 2023, shows the research characteristics and trends in the field of agriculture, and aims to support research and practice in the field of agriculture with scientific insights, promote the enhancement of global agricultural science and technology innovation capabilities, and contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture.
The keynote speeches were followed by two roundtable discussions. Leng Changjian, President of Shandong Agricultural University, and Wu De, President of Sichuan Agricultural University, presided over the forum respectively. At the forum, Kadambot Siddique, Academician of the Australia Academy of Technology, Science and Engineering and Dean of the Agricultural Research Institute of the University of Western Australia, Zhou Wei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Henan Agricultural University, Patrick Okori, Executive Secretary General of the Regional University Forum, Lan Siren, President of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Daniel Sui, Vice President of Virginia Tech United States, Wei Zhibiao, Postdoctoral Fellow of China Agricultural University, and other guests focused on "how universities can cultivate talents with cutting-edge exploration and cross-innovation capabilities". "Communicate. They believe that in the face of the continuous development of society, colleges and universities need to do a good job in top-level design and mechanism innovation, build a cutting-edge exploration or interdisciplinary discipline system, and conducted in-depth discussions on how to cultivate talents.
Qaisar Abbas, President of Sagoda University, Pakistan, Shi Yuanchun, President of Qinghai University, Matin Qaim, Director of the Development Research Center of the University of Bonn, Germany, Li Yonghe, President of Yunnan Agricultural University, Thomas Bartzanas, Vice President of Athens Agricultural University, Zhang Wei, founder and general manager of Sutuo Technology, and other guests exchanged views on the theme of "How to synchronize the development of university scientific research with industrial demand". They believe that universities should actively establish industry-university-research cooperation mechanisms and invite industry experts to participate in curriculum design or serve as industry mentors to meet the diverse needs of society. Universities should focus on national and provincial strategies, and appropriately adjust the training direction of schools according to the needs of enterprises, so as to cultivate more high-quality talents that meet market demand.
During the forum, the participants discussed how higher education and scientific research can play an active role in climate change and agri-food system transformation, promote the multidisciplinary innovation and interdisciplinary talent training capacity of global agricultural higher education, promote close exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between global agricultural universities and research institutions, and cultivate new momentum for the development of global agricultural higher education.
Grant Raymond Edwards, President of Lincoln University in New Zealand, made a concluding speech at the forum. He said that the content of this roundtable dialogue is enlightening and can solve some practical problems faced in agriculture-related university education.
Du Taisheng, vice president of China Agricultural University, presided over the forum
In the afternoon of the same day, the special report of the Chinese and Foreign Presidents' Forum with the theme of "University Evaluation System and the Future Development Direction of Agricultural Universities in the Context of the New Era" was held. Li Zhaohu, President of Beijing Forestry University, presided over the special report meeting.
At the report meeting, Elsevier's global senior vice president Saeed · Taha, ·France vice president of the National Academy of Agri-Food and Environment and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jean François · Sosana, Zhang Weiguo, Secretary of the Party Committee of Southwest University, Michael ·Ganzel, Academician of the Royal Society of Canada and Professor of the University of Alberta, Xue Hongwei, President of South China Agricultural University, and Mark ·, Chairman of the Advanced Research Center for Sustainable Food Security at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Tester and Yang Puyun, Director of the Innovation Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, made special reports.
Jiang Ping'an, President of Xinjiang Agricultural University, Charin Techapun, Vice President of Chiang Mai University of Thailand, Chen Yongsheng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Zhao Feng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Beijing Agricultural College, and Akihiro Suzuki, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences of Saga University in Japan, made exchange speeches.
Text | Ouyang Yongzhi Liu Yanyan
Photography | Ouyang Yongzhi
Edit | Yang Yurui
Editor-in-charge | Fan Chenhui, Jiang Pingping, Wu Xiaohan, Zhang Shuran, Song Chengyu