TU’s Jiaojiang Campus hosted a significant Cooperation Conference and Agricultural Innovation Forum with the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences on May 22nd. Taizhou Vice Mayor Yang Lingling attended and spoke at the event. University President Yue Chuanyong and Academy President Lin Fucheng signed a strategic cooperation agreement, witnessed by university and city officials including University Vice President Li Junmin, who chaired the meeting.

Cooperation Conference

President Yue Chuanyong welcomed the partnership as a crucial step in implementing the province’s “Science Empowers Agriculture” strategy. He described it as a milestone for integrating academia with industry and advancing rural revitalization, which will speed up the practical application of agricultural research in Taizhou. Yue outlined three key goals: 1) Deepening Cooperation: Sharing the mission to drive innovation; 2) Leveraging Strengths: Applying joint research to boost local specialties like citrus, tea, and aquaculture, bridging the gap between lab discoveries and farm implementation; 3) Building the Future: Using this partnership to pioneer new university-research institute models, aiming for major breakthroughs, cultivating skilled agricultural talent, and launching real-world projects to support Taizhou’s rural modernization.

President Yue speaks at the event

Vice Mayor Yang Lingling highlighted the agreement’s importance for advancing Taizhou’s agriculture through technology innovation, industry upgrades, and talent development. She urged both institutions to: 1) Focus on Core Technology: Pool resources to achieve breakthroughs for Taizhou’s unique agricultural sectors; 2) Boost Industry Impact: Co-create platforms like specialized research centers and “science yards” to fast-track high-tech farming solutions; 3) Grow Top Talent: Share expertise, explore joint recruitment, and co-develop master’s programs to train practical specialists in areas like crop planning, food processing, and smart farming—establishing a model partnership for the region.

Vice Mayor Yang speaks at the event

President Lin Fucheng noted the existing collaboration through their joint Fruit & Vegetable Safety Lab, which has aided Taizhou’s citrus industry. The new framework deepens this “Research-Industry-Education-Application” link, focusing on: joint funding bids; tackling key tech challenges (digital agriculture, food processing); shared high-level labs; dual-appointment of researchers; co-hosted master’s programs for hands-on experts; open access to facilities/data; and academic forums. Lin pledged the Academy’s commitment to demand-driven, open, and sustainable cooperation, aiming to solve critical agricultural problems and empower Taizhou’s signature citrus and melon industries, thereby strengthening Zhejiang’s agricultural future.

President Lin speaks at the event

The event featured the signing of specific collaborative projects: a Joint Postgraduate Training Base and a University Internship Base (both with the Zhejiang Citrus Research Institute), and a Party-Building initiative. A ceremony appointed high-level researchers from both institutions, followed by the unveiling of the new Postgraduate Training Base, Internship Base, and the Zhejiang (Taizhou) Tangerine Engineering Technology Research Center (in preparation).

Signing strategic cooperation agreement

The Agricultural Innovation Forum concluded with expert presentations: Researcher Xu Jianguo (Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences) on New Trends in the Citrus Industry, and Professor Zeng Wei (Taizhou University) on Citrus Applications of Fruit Polysaccharide Research. University faculty and students attended these sessions.