On the afternoon of October 2nd, International Top-Level Forum on Engineering Science and Technology Development Strategy: International Higher Agricultural Education and the opening ceremony of International University President Forum was held in the lecture hall of the International Academic Exchange Center of HZAU. This 1.5 days forum including two sessions: “International University President Forum” and “Project Team Forum of Chinese Academy of Engineering”。It attracted Nobel Laureates, presidents and deans from more than 70 universities in 15 countries and regions, 15 academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. They jointly probed into the laws, new paths and strategic plans for higher agricultural education in the new era.
As one of the most important academic activities during the celebration of the 120th anniversary of HZAU, this forum themed” The ‘Belt and Road Initiative' and the International Development of Higher Agricultural Education”, was co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and HZAU. The opening ceremony and keynote speeches were presided by prof. Li Zhongyun, the chairman of the University Council.
At the opening ceremony, vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of HZAU, Deng Xiuxin delivered a speech, on behalf of Chinese Academy of Engineering and HZAU. He first expressed congratulations on the opening of this forum, and extended warm welcome and appreciation to all present. He introduced the general situation of HZAU from the aspects of talent cultivation, scientific research, and international exchange and cooperation. He also pointed out that modern agriculture had become an important part of the burgeoning bio-economy and low-carbon economy both from the perspective of national strategies and prospect of agricultural development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016, proposed higher demands for the development of worldwide higher agricultural education. This year, the National Education Conference held by the Chinese government and the Undergraduates Educational Working Conference of Colleges and Universities in the New Era have indicated the direction and provided fundamental principles for the development of Chinese higher agricultural education. Deng stressed that we should improve higher agricultural education’s overall quality as well as its attractiveness and influence; optimize the structure and the amalgamation of academic disciplines; focus more on the practical education; improve the scientific innovation ability so as to deepen the supply-side structural reform of agriculture, and reinforce opening and sharing as well as collaborative innovation to further promote international cooperation and exchanges.
Next, vice minister of the Education Ministry, Du Zhanyuan announced in his speech that it was significant for attendees from all over the world getting together at the 120th anniversary celebration of this school. In recent years, Huazhong Agricultural University carried on the strategy of“strengthening the school with characteristics, high teaching quality, excellent talents, science and technology, and open-up enrollment”, and which improved its quality of education, enhanced its scientific research capacity, highlighted its discipline advantages, and improved its strength and international influence. And all of the achievements were the best gifts for its 120th anniversary. He also emphasized that the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to implement the rural revitalization strategy to accelerate the agricultural and rural modernization. And the 5th National Education Assembly proposed to accelerate the modernization of education, to build the country into one with strong education and to launch education for the satisfaction of people. Against this backdrop, the Chinese higher agricultural education would continue to serve Agriculture, Rural Area and Farmers, and to build a new mechanism for education so as to provide more talents for rural revitalization. He also mentioned that Ministry of Education would actively urge Chinese agricultural colleges and universities to accelerate the construction of "Double-First Class"; improve the integration of agriculture, science and technology and education to promote the ability of serving the development of agriculture, rural areas and farmers; deepen mechanism reform and innovation in colleges and universities to stimulate the vitality of their endogenous development; and strengthen international exchanges and cooperation to raise the level of internationalized education.
Later on, the director of International Center for Engineering Education (ICEE) under the auspices of UNESCO, Wu Qidi delivered a keynote speech. She said,“Engineering benefits humanity and education shapes the future. It’s Higher agricultural engineering education, especially the transformation of agricultural practitioners from 'physical labor' to 'intellectual worker’ that accelerates the modernization of our country.” She also expressed that the rapid progress of science and technology nowadays provided not only opportunities for the development of agriculture, but also posed challenges for higher agricultural education. People must find the ways to seize the historical opportunity and face with big challenges in order to move toward the modernization and internationalization of higher agricultural education.
Next, professor Johann Deisenhofer, Nobel Laureate in chemistry, delivered a keynote speech titled“Lifelong memories of higher education. He divided his higher education experience into four stages: acquiring basic knowledge, finding problems, research and breaking academic boundaries. He believed that the nature of learning lies in breaking academic boundaries, so teachers should assist students to solve problems and broaden their horizons. He also emphasized that students shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes, because it can help one grow up.
After that, seven scholars from home and abroad delivered keynote speeches separately. They shared their view points on the reform and development of higher education, the role of agricultural universities in China's agricultural development, the development strategy of universities, the achievements of agricultural universities in the“Belt and Road Initiative”, the global environment of education, the science and technology innovation of agriculture and the reform of higher agricultural education. The forum was full of heated discussion, thought collision and wisdom sparkles.
