On July 9th, the opening ceremony for the Yangling International Academy of Modern Agriculture was held in the Northwest A&F University. Mr. Yao Yinliang, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Province, and Mr. Zhang Guangqiang, Secretary of the A&F Party Committee and the Party Working Committee of Yangling Demonstration Zone, unveiled the sign at the opening ceremony for the Academy. Altogether over 60 experts from different research institutions and universities at home and abroad presented the opening ceremony, including Academician Wang Maohua, Academician Luo Xiwen and Academician Li Peicheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, experts from the University of Manitoba, Canada, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Colorado State University, Washington State University, the University of Maryland, China Agricultural University, South China Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering (CAAE), etc. The A&F Vice President Mr. Hou Xi presided over the ceremony.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Xu Chunxia, Deputy Director-General of Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Department, read out the “Reply of Agreeing the Establishment of Yangling International Academy of Modern Agriculture”. Mr. Zhao Zhong, Executive Vice President of the A&F and Director-General of the Academy, announced the appointment decision: Academician Wang Maohua, Academician Luo Xiwen and Academician Li Peicheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering were appointed as the Honorable Director of the Academy’s Academic Committee; Mr. Wu Pute, Vice President of the A&F, was appointed as the Dean of the Academy; Mr. He Dongjian, Dean of the A&F College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering was appointed as the Executive Dean; Mr. Zhang Qiang, Mr. Gao Wei and Mr. Yuan Hongma were appointed as the Vice Dean; Prof. Yang Xiusheng was appointed as the Director of the Academy’s Academic Committee; Prof. Yang Qing and Researcher Yang Chenghai were appointed as the Vice Director; Mr. Zhang Qiang, Mr. Gao Wei, Mr. Zhang Naiqian, Mr. Zhang Qin, Mr. Lan Yubin, Mr. He Dongjian, Mr. Yue Tianli, Mr. Lv Jialong, Mr. Ma Xiaoyi and Mr. Chang Qingrui were appointed as the members of the Academic Committee.

President Sun Wuxue of the Northwest A&F University, Executive Vice Director Liang Hongxian of the Administrative Committee of Yangling Demonstration Zone, Prof. Yang Xiusheng of the University of Connecticut and Director-General Zhu Ming of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering addressed at the ceremony respectively.

The A&F Presient Sun Wuxue pointed out in his address that China’s agriculture was going through a crucial period, transforming from the traditional type to the modern type. On the one hand, marked by the key breakthroughs in biotechnology and information technology, agricultural science and technology continuously develops both in depth and breadth, breeding a new competition in the revolution of agricultural science and technology worldwide. On the other hand, the resource constraints for the development of China’s agriculture have become increasingly prominent. Population growth, growing shortage of land and water resources, environmental deterioration and frequent natural disasters all have brought severe challenges to China’s agricultural development. Under this background, an important way to promote the construction of China’s modern agriculture is to strengthen international technological cooperation and exchanges in agriculture, to learn and grasp advanced agricultural science and technology as well as management experience around the world, and to break the restraints in resources with science and technology. The establishment of Yangling International Academy of Modern Agriculture is an adaption to this trend. Through the building of the platform and projects may provided, the Academy tries to attract and integrate technological resources and talents at home and abroad, to organize researchers from relevant universities and scientific research institutions to conduct research, cooperation and exchange within their own priority research areas, aiming at the key issues in those critical areas including agriculture, environment, food, etc. It strives to resolve the major engineering and scientific problems among agricultural fields in central and western China as well as in Shaanxi Province, so as to promote the level of modern agriculture in Shaanxi and even the whole China.

In Prof. Yang Xiusheng’s address on behalf of the AOC and the ACAAS, he pointed out that with the help of the platform, some technological breakthroughs could be made in those key issues met in the process of China’ agricultural modernization; some suddenly happened agricultural, ecological and environmental problems could be coped with the strength of a team; some strategic proposals could be put forward for the development of China’s relevant fields; mature technology abroad could be introduced and joint research could be organized on high starting point to solve some technical problems of agricultural development in western China and then to stimulate the  industrialization of modern agriculture; channels and mechanisms could be effectively built to bring in talents overseas to help domestic colleagues familiarizing with the international advanced science and technology as soon as possible and to gradually cultivate talents inland. Prof. Yang expressed his hope that all parties at home and abroad could further strengthen the communication and coordination, so as to run the academy really well.  
After the opening ceremony of the Yangling International Academy of Modern Agriculture, the first academic forum under the theme “Modern Agriculture and Technological Innovation” was held. Deputy Director Yu Jian of the Administrative Committee of Yangling Demonstration Zone, Academician Wang Maohua and Academician Li Peicheng from the Chinese Academy of Engineering made special reports. During the 3-day forum, through the form of 15 academic reports and open discussion among presented domestic and overseas scientists, the trends of development in relevant science and technology were discussed, including agriculture, food and environment worldwide. In accordance with the strategic needs of agricultural modernization and technological innovation in China’s arid and semi-arid areas as well as Shaanxi Province, scientists would also put forward future key research direction of the Academy and the strategic measures to promote international scientific and technological cooperation and multi-disciplinary joint research.