The opening ceremony of SCO Institute of Modern Agricultural Development was held in NWAFU

On July 6, the opening ceremony of the SCO Institute of Modern Agricultural Development and the launch ceremony of SCO Countries Regional Agricultural Cooperation Website were held at the exchange center of NWAFU. Lin liming, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology of Shaanxi province, Ren Buxue, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural and Rural Affairs of Shaanxi Province, Li Xingwang, Chairman of the council of NWAFU, Wu Pute, President of NWAFU, Li Jing, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, Li Jiuhong, deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee and executive deputy director of the Management Committee of the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, Liu Tianxiong, deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, Yuan Hongma, deputy director of the Management Committee of the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, and LV Weidong, vice chairman of the council of NWAFU, Leng Changjian, vice-president of NWAFU, and academician Kang Zhensheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering attended the ceremony. Vice president Luo Jun presided over the ceremony.

To actively respond to the Belt and Road Initiative, thoroughly implement the spirit of general secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the 19th meeting of Council of Heads of States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and better facilitate the establishment of the SCO’ demonstration base for the exchange and training of agricultural technology, the leading group of the base in Shaanxi Province decided to establish the SCO Institute of Modern Agricultural Development relying on NWAFU.

Li Xingwang made the announcement that Wu Pute was appointed as the president of the SCOIMAD, and Luo Jun as the executive president of the SCOIMAD. Lin liming, Ren Buxue, Li Xingwang and Li Jing jointly inaugurated the Institute. Wu Pute and Li Jiuhong delivered speeches respectively.

The Institute will pool recourses from research institutions and attract experts and scholars domestically and internationally. The SCOIMAD upholds the Shanghai Spirit of “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity, and a desire for common development”, with the purposes of "openness and cooperation, green development and innovation growth". In view of questions on the development of modern agriculture in SCO countries, it conducts research on strategies for modern agricultural development、models and standards of technology integration and demonstration、training systems and effectiveness evaluation of technical personnel, etc., and provides services in policy suggestions、technology extension and training capable people, etc., so as to encourage the development of modern agriculture in SCO countries.

Wu Pute said that the university has undertaken three tasks for the construction of the SCO’ demonstration base for the exchange and training of agricultural technology, and the SCOIMAD is one of them. This has brought three favourable opportunities for the future development of the university. First of all, most SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partners are in arid and semi-arid areas, which is in line with the mission of our university to provide science, technology and talent support for the arid and semi-arid areas. Second, SCO is a main focus of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The university has proposed the construction of 5 benchmarks in the process of building a world-class agricultural university, and one of them is to promote the Belt and Road Initiative. Third, the university took the lead in establishing the Silkroad Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance, and has built a number of experimental demonstration bases in Central Asian areas. So far, some beneficial explorations have been carried out, laying a foundation for further work.

Wu Pute addressed that the university put down roots in Yangling – a small town in an arid and semi-arid area, and has been committing to building a world-class agricultural university. The university will take the construction of the institute as an important task in the field of international cooperation and exchange and a new growth pole of international cooperation and exchange. With the joint support and converted efforts, the university is confident and determined to do the best in the various tasks undertaken by the Institute.

After the launching ceremony, an online report on education cooperation between SCO counties was held. Professor Liu Hong, President of Dalian Foreign Studies University, gave an online report on the cooperation between SCO countries. After that, Wu Pute presided over the enlarged meeting of the General affairs Committee of the Institute, deliberated and approved the regulations of SOC Institute of Modern Agricultural Development and the list of experts on the General affairs Committee and the Expert Advisory Committee. Professor Kang Zhensheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of engineering, took up the post of the director of the Expert Advisory Committee. Wu Pute presented letters of appointment to yuan hongma, then representative of the General affairs Committee, and Kang Zhensheng, the representative of the Expert Advisory Committee. Wu Pute hope that we can give full play to the role of the Expert Advisory committee, pool and make good use of the available resources, ensure the implementation of the three tasks of the Institute, and continue to contribute the wisdom and strength of NWAFU to improving the development level of modern agriculture in the world.