A Delegation of NJFU Visited New Zealand and Australia

From October 13 to 20, at the invitation of the Institute of Forestry of Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand (SCION), Monash University and Curtin University in Australia, Prof. Zhao Maocheng, Vice Chairman of the University Committee of NJFU, led a delegation to visit New Zealand and Australia.

The delegation first visited the Institute of Forestry of Royal Academy of Sciences New Zealand (SCION). As a national research institution in New Zealand, SCION enjoys a high reputation in the field of forestry research and sustainable development of biological resources. NJFU and SCION have established a foundation of cooperation in forest remote sensing, forest phenotype work and forestry science. The delegation had in-depth talks with Henri Bailleres, the leader of SCION and related academic leaders Andrew Cridge, Heidi Dungey and David Pont. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on how to strengthen future research in green development, environmental protection, forest resources utilization and other aspects. The delegation also visited the nursery and laboratory of SCION. The two sides agreed that forestry and environmental protection were major challenges facing the world, and the strengthening of scientific research cooperation in related fields was not only of great significance to the scientific progress of the two countries, but also would contribute to the sustainable development of the world.

During the visit to Monash University, Sunny Yang, Vice President of Monash University, extended a warm welcome to the delegation and introduced in detail the history of Monash University, its faculty, teaching and research, and international student enrollment. The delegation visited the Student Innovation Center of Monash University, the Additive Manufacturing Center, and the Faculty of Engineering laboratory. The two sides held discussions on further promoting bilateral personnel training, joint scientific research, mutual visits of teachers and joint student training programs. The two sides also explored the possibility of establishing a joint research platform and academic exchange center to provide more opportunities for cross-border academic exchanges between teachers and students of the two universities.

During his visit to Curtin University, Prof. Zhao and Zhang Xiaotian, executive vice president of Curtin University, officially signed a cooperation agreement on the joint training of students majoring in food science and engineering, marking a substantial step forward in the field of talent training between the two universities. The two sides had in-depth exchanges and carried out fruitful discussions on innovative cooperation models across multiple disciplines. The discussions covered coordinated development in various fields such as ecological restoration, biotechnology and engineering technology, and both sides expressed a strong desire to promote innovation through cooperation. The delegation also visited Curtin University's libraries, laboratories and other teaching and research facilities. Prof. Zhao said that NJFU was committed to cultivating talents with global vision and innovative ability, and hoped to build a global cooperative innovation platform through cooperation with Curtin University.