On December 16, Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) was honored to host a visit from Dr. Pamela Ronald, a distinguished scientist and laureate of the 8th World Agriculture Prize. Dr. Ronald, who is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a professor at the University of California, Davis, was welcomed by Professor ZHU Yan, Vice President of NAU.

Vice President ZHU extended a warm welcome on behalf of the university, noting that while the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Dr. Ronald from traveling to China to accept her award in 2020, this visit marked a significant opportunity to finally celebrate her achievement in person. She highlighted the decade-long history of close collaboration between NAU and UC Davis in research, faculty and student exchanges, and talent development. Looking forward, ZHU expressed her hope that this visit would serve as a driving force to expand cooperation in broader agricultural sciences. She specifically proposed exploring the establishment of a joint research center, increasing the frequency of cultural and academic exchanges, and fostering collaborative breakthroughs in scientific research and talent cultivation.

Dr. Ronald expressed her sincere gratitude for the prize, describing it as a meaningful affirmation of her decades of work in research and scientific outreach. She spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation between the two universities, singling out the remarkable achievements of the rice genetics and breeding team at NAU. Dr. Ronald voiced her strong expectation to integrate the teaching and research strengths of both institutions in the future, aiming to broaden the scope of their partnership and usher in a new era of high-level collaboration.

During her visit, Dr. Ronald delivered a special academic report for faculty and students and engaged in in-depth exchanges with members of the College of Agriculture.