MOU signed with Chinese science leaders

Research

Australia's agricultural research ties with China have been strengthened during a recent visit to the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus from the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Lu Yongxiang, who is also Vice-Chairman of the National People's Congress in China - which makes him one of the most influential people in China - led a delegation of senior members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to Adelaide last month. They were accompanied by representatives of the Chinese Embassy, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor Lu and his delegation toured some of the world-class research facilities at the Waite Campus, such as the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (The Plant Accelerator), and the Hickinbotham Roseworthy Wine Science Laboratory, as well as historic Urrbrae House.

The tours concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for closer cooperation between the University and the Academy's Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology.

The MOU was signed by the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Research), Professor Mike Brooks, and by Professor Yang Weicai, Deputy Director General of the Academy's Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology.

"This was a very important visit for the University of Adelaide and our Waite Campus, one that has strengthened agricultural research linkages between China and Australia," said the University's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha, who hosted an event for the visitors.

"Many of the agricultural research areas that are of great importance to Australia's future are also important to China. We share a critical interest in food security, with challenges to food production common to our nations, such as climate change, decreasing volume and quality of water resources, and salinity.

"Under the MOU, the University and the Academy have agreed to investigate cooperation in a range of areas, such as joint research activities, academic staff exchanges, and the potential for commercial development of our joint research," Professor McWha said.

He said the MOU was "further evidence of the international significance of the research being conducted at our Waite Campus, not only by University of Adelaide staff and students but also by our many co-located campus partners and collaborators".

"Given the recent establishment of our Waite Research Institute, and the new ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology at the Waite, this is a timely partnership. We hope that cooperation will yield many positive benefits for our State, our nation and for China," he said.

Story by David Ellis