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Campus welcomes delegation from China Agricultural University

Posted 29 November

A delegation from one of China’s leading specialist universities has been welcomed to ÎÞÂ붯»­ in Shropshire as the institutions seek to strengthen academic ties.

The visit, from , saw the guests meet with key staff at Harper Adams, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan, as the two institutions explored innovative opportunities for collaboration in research and education.

China Agricultural University, based in Haidian, Beijing, has around 20,000 students. It shares a long history serving the food and farming sectors with Harper Adams – with the English institution able to trace its roots back to 1901, and the Chinese one to 1905.

The 2024 delegation was led by Professor Lin Wanlong, Vice President of China Agricultural University, and saw the visitors tour several key facilities at Harper Adams, including the Future Farm, University Vineyard, the Jean Jackson Entomology Building, and the Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre.

Roundtable discussions were held with individual departments including Engineering, Agriculture and Environment, and the new Harper Food Innovation Department.

At each roundtable, colleagues from both institutions exchanged ideas and identified synergies in education and research, as well as opportunities to collaborate.

The delegation was also given the chance to see more of the Shropshire countryside which surrounds Harper Adams - and to visit some of the region’s historic landmarks. These included the Blists Hill Victorian Museum, which represents life in the era Harper Adams was founded, and the Ironbridge George UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Professor Sloan is the Chair of the Steering Group.

He said: “It was a pleasure to welcome colleagues from China Agricultural University and to discuss opportunities for our two institutions to work together.

“Both of our universities are specialist institutions, serving key sectors in our respective nations – and both have a keen focus on research and teaching.”

ÎÞÂ붯»­’s connections with China Agricultural University were built on research links developed in 2012 between the two institutions’ Engineering Departments. They then expanded through a joint Masters course in Applied Mechatronics Engineering, funded by the China Scholarship Council.

Over the years, a number of highly skilled students have graduated from the programme and are now making a difference in their fields.

Professor Sloan added: “As I set out during the visit, our 2030 Vision, Together, We Will Make the Difference has a strong focus on developing global connections.

“We intend to do this through meaningful collaboration with like-minded institutions worldwide, and it was clear to me during the visit there are many more opportunities for our two organisations to work together.”

At the end of the visit, Professor Lin expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and the insightful exchanges the delegation had taken part in.

He added: "The visit has been highly productive and enriching.

"We look forward to building on this foundation and working closely with Harper Adams in the future.”