On April 9^th, President Li Jiayang held talks with Mr. Franz Fischler, President of the think tank European Forum Alpbach in CAAS campus in Beijing. Both agreed to strengthen partnership on agricultural science and technology.

Li briefed the guest with CAAS latest development and its Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP). He said, ASTIP provides good opportunities and strong supports for international cooperation. He proposed to enhance exchange between CAAS and the European Forum ALpbach in commonly concerned fields including agricultural environment, food safety, and water resource utilization through academic visits, joint organizing international conference and seminars and other approaches.

Fischler gave introduction to the evolution and latest events of the European Forum Alpbach. Applauding to Li’s proposal, he welcomed CAAS scientists’ proactive involvement in the forum. Meanwhile, the forum would like to beef up cooperation with CAAS on the personal exchange, graduate students training and scientific results transfer, Fischler said.

Fischler also delivered a speech entitled The Direction of the European Agricultural development and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU at the Graduate School of CAAS.

The European Forum Alphach, founded in 1945, is an independent and non-profit association based in Vienna, Austria. It organizes summer conference of the same theme and other events all around Europe throughout the year to bring together politicians, academics, students, and decision makers from all areas to discuss and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to European and global problems.