On November 30th, 2018 "Belt and Road" Forum for International Cooperation and Development on Agricultural Modernization was held in Jiangsu University. It was co-hosted by Jiangsu University and China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation (CAPIAC). Attending the forum were more than 150 guests from governments, universities and enterprises from China, Russia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Côte d'Ivoire, Burundi, Nigeria, etc. They exchanged ideas on issues concerning agricultural modernization, technology transfer in agricultural engineering, agricultural equipment, etc. and witnessed the foundation of International Cooperation Alliance on Agricultural Equipment (ICAAE). It was the third academic exchange held by "Belt & Road" African Studies Alliance members. Prof. Liu Jisen, Executive President of IAS, and Director of Research Center for International Economics and Trade, GDUFS, attended the forum.
The opening ceremony was held in the morning. Attending the opening ceremony were domestic and overseas representatives from political, business and academic circles, including Sabyrbekov Almazbek, Chief Consultant of Speaker of Kyrgyzstan Parliament, Traore Adams Kolia, government official from Coate d'Ivoire, Bessin Koffi Mauric, Director of Foreign Affair Office of Senate of Coate d'Ivoire, Pierre Claver NAHIMANA, former Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Farming Ministry of Burundi, Shahid Rashid, Executive Director of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Honorable Anderson Madubike, Consul General of Nigerian Consulate General in Shanghai, Alex Ariho, official from Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Drapaliuk Mikhail, President of Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies, Chen Zhigang, Chairman of China-Russia "Belt and Road" Strategy Development Research Association, Zhai Huqu, Chairman of CAPIAC, Liu Jian, China Agricultural Technology and Business Innovation Association, Li An'ning, Director of Management Section of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of PRC, Song Hongyuan, Director of Research Center for Rural Economy of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, He Xingchu, Director of International Section, Department of Education of Jiangsu Province, Guo Li, Director of Center for South-South Cooperation of UNIDO, Yu li'na, vice general manager of YTO, Zhu Jinguang, Vice CEO of Lovol, etc.
Ni Bin, Deputy Secretary of Zhenjiang City, delivered a speech.
Yuan Shouqi, CPC Party Secretary of Jiangsu University, delivered an opening speech.
Yuan Shouqi made a brief introduction of Jiangsu University. He pointed out that Jiangsu University stuck to the principle of integrating internationalization, talent cultivation, faculty building and subject development and attached great importance to the promotion of international cooperation on agriculture.
Yuan Shouqi mentioned that in response to "Belt and Road" Initiative, Institute for "Belt and Road" of Jiangsu University was established, aimed to promote international cooperation and "go global" strategy for agricultural and machinery enterprises. In the past five years, Jiangsu University has cultivated about 1600 international talents from 51 countries along "Belt and Road" and played a vital role in "Belt and Road" international exchange.
Yuan Shouqi hoped to take this opportunity to enhance exchange with political, academic and enterprise elites so as to create win-win situation and promote cooperation.
Zhai Huqu, Chairman of CAPIAC, delivered a speech.
He Xingchu, Director of International Section, Department of Education of Jiangsu Province, delivered a speech.
Mr. Liu Baoli delivered a speech.
Guo Li, Director of Center for South-South Cooperation of UNIDO, delivered a speech.
Shahid Rashid, Executive Director of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, delivered a speech.
Pierre Claver NAHIMANA, former Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Farming Ministry of Burundi, delivered a speech.
Mr. Traore Adams Kolia delivered a speech.
Mr. Sabyrbekov Almazbek, delivered a speech.
Yan Xiaohong, President of Jiangsu University, host the opening ceremony.
Later, the opening ceremony of International Cooperation Alliance on Agricultural Equipment (ICAAE) was held and hosted by Ding Jianning, Vice President of Jiangsu University.
ICAAE was initiated by 19 organizations including Jiangsu Universities, YTO, Lovol, etc. Up to now, there have been over 70 domestic and overseas members. The Association aimed to accelerate the integration of agricultural equipment and "Belt and Road" Initiative and to promote technology development and cooperation on agricultural equipment and production capacity.
In keynote speeches, experts exchanged ideas on China's current situation and future development of the cooperation on its foreign investment in agriculture, potential and risks of going global, etc. Enterprise representatives shared ideas on China's current situation and future development of agricultural and machinery market in Africa and experience in the promotion of water-saving irrigation technology, etc. Representatives from Russia, Botswana, Nigeria, Pakistan showed willingness to establish international cooperation.
In the forum's eve, Conference of ICAAE and the First Session of Council Meeting was held in Zhenjiang. Alliance Constitution had been passed, and the first session of council was elected. President Yan Xiaohong was elected as the first director of the Alliance. Gao Jing, Dean of Center for “Belt and Road”, and Li Hong, Director of technology section, were elected as Sectary General of the Alliance.
The forum had been intensively reported by media.
