On September 15, Professor Rickey Yada, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Professor Jianping Wu, Associate Dean, and Professor Henry An, Chair of the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology from the University of Alberta, Canada, visited the Graduate School. Wen Yang, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, and Dong Yiwei, Director of the Division of International Education, attended the talks.

The delegation delivered lectures for the 7th session of our university’s Silk Road Lecture Series for International Students in Agricultural Sciences. The three professors shared insights combining cutting‑edge disciplinary developments and China‑Canada cooperation agendas. Professor Rickey Yada gave a presentation entitled The Future of Agriculture, Food Science and Technology in a Changing World, focusing on food security, smart agriculture and plant‑based food, and shared cutting‑edge industry trends and core research priorities. Professor Jianping Wu introduced the programs and postgraduate training of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, reviewed past China‑Canada academic cooperation outcomes and outlined prospects for future collaboration. Centered on climate‑resilient innovation research, Professor Henry An presented relevant scientific explorations and practical achievements.

During the Q&A session, experts from the delegation responded to questions raised by faculty and students regarding frontier technologies, joint training and academic exchanges. More than 150 Chinese and international faculty and students participated in the lecture both on‑site and online. Attendees commented that the lecture shed light on global agricultural‑science frontiers, built a bridge for exchanges of academic ideas between China and foreign countries, broadened international academic horizons and inspired research thinking, bringing substantial benefits to all participants.

During the visit, the two sides held in‑depth discussions on Sino‑foreign cooperative education and the establishment of regular exchange mechanisms, and consulted on follow‑up cooperation directions including faculty‑student exchanges and joint scientific research. The delegation toured the National Crop Genebank and the School of International Education of the Graduate School to gain first‑hand knowledge of our research platforms and international talent‑training programs, further building consensus and deepening mutual trust.

This event serves as a high‑quality platform for Sino‑Canadian academic exchanges in agricultural sciences and represents a vivid practice of China‑Canada scientific and technological cooperation. Moving forward, the Graduate School will continue to deepen practical international science‑education cooperation, expand channels for cultivating international‑oriented talents, and steadily enhance the level of educational opening‑up and the quality of agricultural‑science talent training at our institution.