On June 16, the Opening Ceremony of the 4th Jiangsu University Agricultural Machinery Training Program in Zambia & Abundant Africa Aiding Action was held successfully at Jiangsu University (JSU). The ceremony was held online and offline. The main venue was set up at JSU, and the branch venues were set up at Mulungushi University in Zambia and the University of Zambia.
At the main venue, Prof. Yan Xiaohong, President of JSU, Mr. Zhang Zhongjun, Assistant Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Mr. Mqabuko Spencer Dube, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Beijing, China, Mr. Vincent Chabu Mwewa, Counsellor Political and Administration, Embassy of the Republic of Zambia in Beijing, China, and Dr. Zainabu Zuberi Massoro, Education Consultant, Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania in Beijing, China attend the ceremony and delivered the speeches. Mr. Dejene Tezera, Director of Agriculture Department, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Chairman Li Tie, CAMCO Group attended the ceremony online and delivered the speeches. Ms. Shi Yunyu, Deputy Director, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, China, sent the congratulatory video. In the branch venues, Prof. Hellicy C. Ng'ambi, Vice-Chancellor of Mulungushi University (MU), Zambia, Prof. Michael Mullen, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Zambia attended the ceremony and delivered the speeches. More than 100 people including Wang Zhen, Director of the Talent Planning and Development Division of the Human Resources Department of the UNIDO, African University professors undertaking cooperative teachings, heads of relevant administrative departments of JSU, heads of schools/centers undertaking training, and representatives of teachers and students participated in the ceremony.
Prof. Yan Xiaohong pointed out that the training responded to the guiding principles initiated by President Xi Jinping at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and President Xi Jinping’s instructions in his letter to agricultural universities and colleges in September 2019. It was a move contributing to a harvest Africa and deepening China-Africa cooperation through overseas education.
Prof. Hellicy C. Ng'ambi and Prof. Michael Mullen pointed out that JSU was their important cooperative partner. This training would greatly promote the cultivation of international agricultural machinery talents in Zambia. Based on this, they would develop more multi-level cooperation with JSU in the wide-ranging fields.
Mr. Zhang Zhongjun and Mr. Dejene Tezera highly appreciated the training. They pointed out that the training was in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals with poverty eradication as the primary task. They would continue to strengthen their cooperation with JSU in agricultural mechanization, food safety and other fields.
Ms. Shi Yunyu extended an expectation that JSU would fully utilize its strengths as a higher-education institute to cultivate agricultural machinery talents in Africa, thus deepening China-Africa friendship and contribute to “Belt and Road Initiative”.
The representatives of the Embassies of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania expressed their sincere appreciation to JSU for carrying out agricultural machinery training and extending to cover more Africa countries. It has provided valuable opportunities for African agricultural machinery cadres, farmers, young agricultural machinery personnel and university students to acquire knowledge and skills related to agricultural machinery and food safety. They strongly supported the cooperation between JSU and African universities on talents training, skills training, scientific research cooperation and platform construction.
Prof. Hussain Sorour and Assoc. Prof. Rashad Hegazy, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt and Ms. Nelly Nkhowani, UNZA delivered speeches as representatives of teachers and student. JSU’s overseas students Ms. Sydney Selina (Nigeria) and Mr. Moonga Musale (Zambia) sang Rise Up, fully demonstrating the spirit of persistent progressing.
After the opening ceremony, Prof. Yan Xiaohong met with envoys, and conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on strengthening cooperation with international organizations and African countries.
The 4th Jiangsu University Agricultural Machinery Training Program offered two courses, co-taught by Chinese experts and for the first-time foreign experts from Kafra Sheikh University, Egypt, Sokoin Agricultural University, Tanzania, Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, Ghana, University of Nigeria and Michael Okpala, Nigeria. More than 600 trainees from Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Nigeria and other African countries attended the program.
