The 9th GCHERA World Conference “Global Food Security and Food Safety: The Role of Universities” was held at Nanjing Agricultural University October 28-30, 2017.
The focus of the Conference was to explore the role and contribution of agricultural and life science universities in research, education, outreach and engagement in policymaking to address the global challenge of food security and safety. In particular, the conference explored how universities are contributing to addressing the issues of food security and food safety by engaging in strategic education, research, effective outreach in multi-stakeholder programs and policy determination at the local, regional and global levels.
The conference had five sessions. On the afternoon of 28 October, Sessions 1 and 2 were held in the 1stMeeting Room of Jinling Hall.
Session 1, “The Challenge for Global Food Security and Food Safety,” was co-chaired by John KENNELLY, President of GCHERA, Professor of University of Alberta, Canada and ZHANG Weiguo, President of Southwest University, China.
ZHU Jing (from College of Economic and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, China) delivered a lecture on “Global Food Security and Safety Challenges--Go beyond Productivity.”
Ian MAW (from Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), USA) introduced “The Challenge of Change: Harnessing University Discovery, Engagement, and Learning to Achieve Food and Nutrition Security.”
Session 2, “The Educational Role of Universities in Responding to the Global Challenge,” was co-chaired by Sanjay Kumar PATIL, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, India and ZHONG Funing, Professor, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
Rob DYBALL (from Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Australia) talked about “Research led education into food systems: examples from the Australian National University.”
Jose ZAGLUL (from EARTH University, Costa Rica) shared his experiences in “The role of education in meeting global challenges.”
Part of the attendees of GCHERA World Conference
Sessions 3 and 4 of the conference continued on the morning of October 29.
Session 3, “The Research Role of Universities in Responding to the Global Challenge,” was co-chaired by Philippe CHOQUET, President, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, France and BAO Yihong, Professor, Northeast Forestry University, China.
John INGRAM (from Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University, UK) gave a speech on “The Need for “Food Systems Thinking.”
Aldo STROEBEL (from National Research Foundation, South Africa) presented “Excellence for Global Impact – Effective and Transformed Higher Education.”
Session 4, “Value Creation and the Role of Universities,” was co-chaired by José ZAGLUL, Founding President, EARTH University, Costa Rica and WU De, Vice-President, Sichuan Agricultural University, China.
Tiny VAN BOEKEL (from Department of Food Sciences and Agrotechnology, Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands) shared Wageningen’s experience in “Value creation and the role of the universities: potential for global food security and food safety.”
JIA Xiangping (from College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University, China) discussed his concerns on “Can Innovations be Educated in Agricultural Universities: Evidence from Venture Capital Backed Entrepreneurial Firms in China.”
After the speeches in each session, a panel discussion focused on the session’s sub-theme was held.
In the afternoon, Ian MAW, Vice President, APLU, USA and LIU Zhimin, Professor, Nanjing Agricultural University, China, co-chaired Session 5, “Putting the Pieces Together & World Cafe;.”
During this session, all speakers and student attendees engaged in a panel discussion on lessons learned from Sessions 1- 4. In particular, they studied how universities are contributing to addressing the issues of food security, food safety and environmental sustainability by engaging in strategic education, research, effective outreach in multi-stakeholder programs and policy determination at the local, regional and global levels. The critical importance of the educational role of universities in producing graduates who are agents of positive change in solving global challenges was emphasized by all speakers. There was also agreement that there was an urgent need to continue this dialogue so that the momentum for change that was in evidence at the conference would help catalyze a global movement among GCHERA members. The conference ended with a commitment that GCHERA would continue to play a leadership role in facilitating the sharing of best practices in curricula and pedagogy as outlined in the GCHERA Action Plan.
the 9th GCHERA World Conference
After the conference, invited by the Agricultural Bureau of Nanjing Qixia District, and accompanied by HU Feng, Vice-president of NJAU and LIU Zhimin, Dean of College of International Education of NJAU, the professors participated in a field trip to Nanjing Agricultural Carnival held in Bagua Island, a sub-district of Nanjing Qixia District. During the field trip, the professors experienced the local customs and traditional delicacies of Jiangsu Province. The professors also actively engaged in a panel discussion focusing on strategic planning for the development of Bagua Island in the respect of agriculture and food science education.
Panel Discussion in Bagua Island
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