From 3^rd to 12^th of December 2014, CAAS delegation headed by Mr. Chen Mengshan, Secretary of the Leading Party Group, paid visits to Germany, USA and Mexico to deepen the collaboration and expanding future cooperative opportunities, which lays solid foundation for achieving CAAS as a world center of excellence for agricultural science and technology.

Building on the good start of MOU signed in 2012, it is continued to achieve the major progress in cooperation with North Carolina State University (NCSU). The landmark agreement of CAAS-NCSU Joint Center was signed by Chen Mengshan and Mr. Warwick Arden, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of NCSU. Chen emphasized that CAAS will accelerate the comprehensive resources integration and build the strategic partnership for shared interests and ideas. Arden welcome the delegation and expressed the willingness to elevate partnership to an all-dimensional level under this framework. Both sides agreed to expand the areas from plant protection to animal science, biotechnology, genetic engineering, cotton, tobacco, digital agriculture and etc.

To consolidate and further strengthen the strategic partnership with University of California Davis (UC Davis), Chen and Ms. Linda Katehi, Chancellor of UC Davis exchanged views on several concerned points to expand the pragmatic cooperation. Chen said many elite scientists in CAAS graduated from UC Davis now making great contribution to China’s agricultural S&T. Ms. Katehi highly recognized that both sides have achieved substantial development in agro-ecology, animal science, biotechnology and so forth. It’s agreed to explore more cooperative areas in crop science, agro-product quality control, dryland farming and water-saving agriculture, high efficiency of resources utilization, environment protection and restoration, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine, etc. MOU was also renewed as well as consensus was reached such as talent cultivation and joint labs establishment.

To explore the experiences on building modern innovation system, CAAS delegation visited the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Under the cooperative framework of “China-Germany Agriculture Center”, the Letter of Intent on establishment of “China-Germany Agricultural S&T Platform” was signed by Chen and Dr. Klause Heider, Director General for Food Policy, Product Safety and Innovation. The delegation also visited the Marx Rubner-Institute (MRI, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) and the Association of German Agricultural Analytic and Research Institutes（VDLUFA）.

In Mexico, Chen Mengshan had a fruitful visit at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) with Dr. Thomas Lumpkin, DG of CIMMYT.