GCHERA World Dialogue 2015 and 15th China Agriculture and Forestry University Presidents Forum (CAFUPF) was held on Sept.20-21 in Nanjing, China

By LIU Zhimin, WANG Yingshuang, CHEN Jinyan

GCHERA World Dialogue “Education and Innovation in Agricultural and Life Sciences: Global Leadership to Meet the Challenges of 21st Century” and The 15th China Agriculture and Forestry University Presidents Forum (CAFUPF) was held in Nanjing Agricultural University on Sept. 20-21, 2015.

Open Words by ZHOU Guanghong (the President of NJAU)

On the morning of Sept. 20, at the Opening Ceremony, ZHOU Guanghong, the President of NJAU and Vice-President of GCHERA, announced the opening of the GCHERA World Dialogue 2015 and 15th CAFUPF conference and made brief introduction. ZUO Wei, Chancellor of NJAU, made a welcome speech.

After his speech, John J. KENNELLY(President of GCHERA), KE Bingsheng(President of China Agricultural University, Permanent President of CAFUPF), TANG ke(Head of Department of Science, Technology and Education, Ministry of Agriculture of China), SONG Yi(Deputy Supervisor of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of China ), HONG Liu (Head of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education), ZHAI Huqu(former leader of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)all made speeches.

Welcome speech by ZUO Wei(Chancellor of NJAU)

Speech by John J. KENNELLY ( President of GCHERA)

Speech by KE Bingsheng (President of China Agricultural University, Permanent President of CAFUPF)

Speech by HONG Liu (Head of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education)

Speech by SONG Yi (Deputy Supervisor of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of China )

Speech by TANG ke(Head of Department of Science, Technology and Education, Ministry of Agriculture of China)

Speech by ZHAI Huqu(former leader ofChinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

After the opening ceremony, 5 keynote speakers made speeches around the theme of the Dialogue” Education and Innovation in Agricultural and Life Sciences: Global Leadership to Meet the Challenges of 21st Century”. Ian MAW, Vice-President of GCHERA, chaired the meeting.

KE Bingsheng (President of China Agricultural University), delivered a lecture about “Agriculture Higher Education: Mission, Opportunity, and Innovation”

Helene DILLARD ( Dean of College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from University of California, U.S.A) introduced ”THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: The Experience of UC Davis in the Higher Education of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences” 

YANG Chuanping (President of Northeast Forestry University) talked about “To Build World-class Disciplines Depends on Developing Related Forestry Subjects”

Max PFEFFER (Senior Associate Dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from Cornell University, U.S.A) discussed “Education and Innovation in Agricultural Sciences: Global Leadership to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century”

DONG Weichun (Vice-President of Nanjing Agricultural University) introduced ”Chinese Agriculture Higher Education in Transformation: Tradition, Structure, and Missions”

Keynote speakers on the morning of Sept. 20, 2015

Ten keynote speakers also presented their speech around this topic on the afternoon of Sept. 20, 2015. Both John KENNELLY (President of GCHERA) & LUO Qiujiang (President of Xinjiang Agricultural Univerisity) co-chaired the World Dialogue.

Sanchai JATURASITHA (Associate Dean of Faculty of Agriculture from Chiang Mai University, Thailand) introduced “Chances and Challenges for World Class University:Case of Chiang Mai University especially Faculty of Agriculture”

YE Chunhai (President of Guangdong Ocean University) had a lecture about ”Adhere to Three Orientation, Striving for Excellence Discipline, and Strive to Build a High Level Ocean University”

Hiroshi MATSUMOTO (Provost of Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences from University of Tsukuba, Japan) introduced ”Outline of University of Tsukuba and its Action for Globalization” 

SONG Weiming (President of Beijing Forestry University ) lectured about ”Integrated Government, Industry, University, and Market to Improve Innovation Ability of Agriculture and Forestry Universities” 

Paul VLEK(from University of Bonn, Germany ), the 2014 GCHERA World Agriculture Prize Laureate, delivered a lecture on ”Learning to Look Beyond Boundaries”

CHEN Xiaoyang (President of South China Agricultural University) shared his “Thinking on Construction of Local High Level University”

James KUNG’U (Dean of School of Environmental Sciences from Kenyatta University, Kenya), introduced his experiences in ”Overcoming the Challenges of Training Agricultural Leaders in East and Central Africa Tertiary Agricultural Institutions for the 21st Century” 

QIN Guixin (President of Jilin Agricultural University) lectured about ”Promoting Education Internationalization, Building Pluralistic University Culture”

Carl LARSEN (Freelance Consultant from World Bank) delivered a lecture on  ”Producing Graduates who Lead Agricultural Development in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities”

FU Shaohui (President of Hunan Agricultural University) provided his thoughts on ”Promoting Comprehensive Reform of Agriculture and Forestry Universities by Construction of Status, Using Ideas and Methods of Law”

Keynote Speakers on the afternoon of Sept.20, 2015

The Conference was continued with “Face to Face Discussion Session” on the morning of Sept. 21, 2015 in NJAU of China. Presidents and leaders from Chinese and overseas agricultural universities had a face to face discussion of outcomes of sessions on Sept. 20.

Acknowledge: All the pictures are provided by News Agency of NJAU

To download photos of GCHERA World Dialogue 2015， please click here.