Shandong Agricultural University Media, November 1 – From October 29 to 31, the 27th China International Education Annual Conference convened in Beijing. Shandong Agricultural University (SDAU) hosted one of the parallel forums of the conference, namely the China-CEEC Forum on Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation. During the forum, the China-Serbia Joint Laboratory for Grain Loss Reduction and Agricultural Science and Technology-based Poverty Alleviation was inaugurated, and an agreement was signed to establish the European College of Shandong Agricultural University, a Chinese-foreign cooperative education institution.Present at the event were Yang Jun, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Education Association for International Exchange; Majl Nikolić, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in China; Petr Martinů, Agricultural Counsellor of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in China; Milanka Stojaković, Economic 

Counsellor of the Embassy of Serbia in China; Zhao Ziyi, Chinese Secretary of the Agricultural Section of 

the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in China; Li Ben, Director of the Office of the Secretariat for China-CEEC Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Li Peng, Deputy Director-General of the 

Shandong Provincial Department of Education; Liu Chengxu, Second-level Inspector of the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Ji Caiyun, Second-level Inspector of the Shandong Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Krzysztof Soszka, Rector of Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland; Ioan Vasile Abrudan, Rector of Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania; George Papadakis, Member of the European Academy of Sciences, Professor at Shandong Agricultural University and Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens; and Zhang Ran, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shandong Agricultural University. Leng Changjian, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Shandong Agricultural University, chaired the opening ceremony, while Zhou Yuxi, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President, moderated the thematic discussion session.

On behalf of the China Education Association for International Exchange and the China-CEEC University Union, Yang Jun extended warm congratulations on the convening of the forum, conveyed sincere greetings to colleagues, experts and scholars from Central and Eastern European countries travelling from afar, and expressed heartfelt thanks to friends from all sectors who have long cared for and supported China’s international education exchanges. He noted that educational cooperation has always constituted a key area of China-CEEC cooperation, serving as a vital bond for deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enhancing mutual understanding and consolidating the foundation for collaboration. Faced with shared global challenges including scientific and technological revolution, climate change and food security, strengthened exchanges and cooperation in education, science and technology, and talent development carry greater significance for advancing regional common development and global prosperity.The Discipline Community represents an important component of the development of the University Union and a major platform for China and Central and Eastern European countries to deepen scientific and technological innovation, talent training and industrial cooperation. The Agricultural and Life Sciences Community of the China-CEEC University Union and the China-CEEC Alliance for Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation have built new platforms and injected fresh impetus into bilateral agricultural, scientific and educational collaboration. He looked forward to all parties leveraging these platforms to jointly cultivate future-oriented young talents with global competence, improve the collaborative innovation system for agriculture and life sciences, build a full-chain industry-university-research collaborative innovation network in agriculture, and contribute wisdom and solutions to addressing global common challenges.He remarked that 2027 will mark the 15th anniversary of the launch of the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. The China Education Association for International Exchange will continue to act as a bridge, facilitating broader, higher-level and deeper educational exchanges and practical cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. Relying on the University Union, it will keep expanding cooperation networks, enriching the connotation of collaboration, and contribute educational strength to deepening all-round China-CEEC cooperation, promoting mutual learning in China-Europe education, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

On behalf of Poznań University of Life Sciences, Krzysztof Soszka congratulated the forum on its opening. He stated that agricultural development is confronted with multiple pressures: feeding a large population, protecting soil, water resources and biodiversity, adapting proactively to climate change, and fostering a new generation of professionals proficient in both theoretical knowledge and modern technologies. Therefore, this forum focusing on international cooperation in agriculture, science and education is of great significance.He added that international cooperation underpins high-calibre research and quality education. Poznań University of Life Sciences is committed to nurturing socially responsible professionals, carrying out research on sustainable agriculture, healthy food and ecological protection, and steadily promoting faculty and student exchanges, joint research and collaborative talent training. He expressed hopes for deeper international engagement with peer universities. Professor Soszka said the China-CEEC Alliance for Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation has translated consensus into tangible actions by advancing joint research on climate-smart and sustainable agriculture, broadening exchange channels for young scholars and students, and strengthening links between universities and enterprises. He anticipated in-depth dialogue with all alliance members and the delivery of more practical cooperation projects.

On behalf of the university, Zhang Ran thanked leaders at all levels and friends from all walks of life for their enduring support for the development of Shandong Agricultural University and for China-CEEC agricultural, scientific and educational cooperation. She pointed out that openness is a defining feature of Chinese modernization, and high-level opening-up in education is an imperative for building a powerful country in education. As a major player in China’s modern agricultural science and education sector, Shandong Agricultural University has actively integrated into the new landscape of educational opening-up. It took the lead in initiating the China-CEEC Alliance for Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation and serves as the lead institution of the Agricultural and Life Sciences Community of the China-CEEC University Union. Together with its members, the university has vigorously promoted academic exchanges, research collaboration and talent development, making positive contributions to open agricultural cooperation and integrated innovation in science and education between China and Central and Eastern Europe.

Zhang Ran noted that this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period and the 120th anniversary of the founding of Shandong Agricultural University. As the secretariat of the Alliance and the lead institution of the Community, SDAU will uphold the principles of modesty, pragmatism, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. It will work with all partners to jointly cultivate talents, steadily advance joint training, faculty and student mobility and mutual recognition of credits, enabling young scholars and students to deepen mutual understanding and develop capabilities through cooperative programmes. The university will also pursue joint research breakthroughs focusing on digital agriculture, biological breeding, green and low-carbon development, establish joint laboratories, and strive to produce a batch of leading, replicable cooperation outcomes. In terms of people-to-people exchanges, it will extend cooperation from laboratories to farmlands and expand technological coordination into inter-civilisational mutual learning, turning China-CEEC agricultural science and education cooperation into a tangible, sustainable and effective model for people-to-people connectivity, and making new and greater contributions to high-level educational opening-up and the sustainable development of global agriculture.

During his remarks as host, Leng Changjian said that since their establishment, the China-CEEC Alliance for Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation and the Agricultural and Life Sciences Community of the China-CEEC University Union have continuously pooled expert resources, built and shared innovation platforms, jointly cultivated internationalised talents, and developed long-term cooperation mechanisms. A series of landmark achievements have laid a solid foundation for further integrated collaboration in modern agricultural science and education between China and Central and Eastern Europe. Going forward, as the Alliance secretariat and lead developer of the Community, Shandong Agricultural University will earnestly fulfil its coordinating and service responsibilities, maintain exchange platforms, push projects forward, smooth communication channels, and work alongside all partners to deepen innovation cooperation in agricultural science and education and deliver more substantial, implementable and livelihood-benefiting outcomes.

A ceremony was held to appoint special advisors for the Agricultural and Life Sciences Community and the China-CEEC Alliance for Modern Agricultural Science, Education and Innovation. The event also presented plaques to new members of the Community and conducted the handover ceremony for hosting the 2027 Annual Conference of the Community and the Alliance.

Three thematic seminars on China-CEEC educational cooperation, scientific research cooperation and industrial cooperation were held successively. Speakers included Professor Ioan Vasile Abrudan, Rector of Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania; Professor Karolina Pawlak, Vice-Rector of Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland; and Professor Wang Hongbo, Vice President of Yantai University. Representatives from universities, research institutions and enterprises across Austria, Lesotho, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States and China discussed the progress of the Agricultural and Life Sciences Community, Chinese-foreign cooperative education, educational innovation and value chains, joint laboratory development, technological innovation, commercialisation of agricultural research results, enterprise matching, trade promotion and industry-university-research collaboration, jointly drawing a new blueprint for China-CEEC cooperation.

It is learned that the China-Serbia Joint Laboratory for Grain Loss Reduction and Agricultural Science and Technology-based Poverty Alleviation will carry out comprehensive international cooperation on cutting-edge smart technologies, including green stress-resistant, high-efficiency and low-loss crop production, green and high-quality protected horticulture, smart agricultural production technologies and intelligent equipment, efficient feed utilisation and healthy livestock and poultry farming, as well as intelligent control and traceability of food quality. The laboratory aims to develop into a distinctive global centre for scientific and technological innovation and talent training in this field, an internationally renowned collaborative R&D hub, a technology transfer node and a base for high-level talent development.

Relevant officials from Shandong Agricultural University attended the activities.