On July 13, IAMO and the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP)of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen future cooperation.

During a visit of a high-level delegation from the CAAS, led by Huaning Chen and coordinated by Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ), the aim was to foster international collaboration and exchange knowledge in the field of agricultural economics and rural development.

IAMO director Thomas Glauben warmly welcomed the delegation. IAMO researcher Zhanli Sun explained the general mission and research areas of the institute. Zhanli Sun also gave an insight in the research of China International Research Group and the current ongoing research project DITAC, which is a project on the Digitalization of Chinese Agriculture funded by the German Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF). The previous joint research and academic exchanges between IAMO and CAAS were highlighted, too. Huaning Chen from CAAS introduced the delegation members, composed mainly of leaders of eight research institutes. The participants conveyed their eagerness to further strengthen collaborations between CAAS and IAMO.

The visit culminated in a fruitful discussion, where ideas, experiences and best practices were exchanged. Topics such as sustainable agriculture, pork price and trade, market trends, rural development policies and agri-tech innovations were discussed at length. In the end, a MoU between IAMO and the IARRP was signed. The MoU lays the foundation for future collaborations, joint research projects, knowledge sharing and staff exchanges. This landmark agreement is expected to promote further cooperation in the realm of agriculture and rural development.

Wang Xiufang (IARRP, CAAS) and Thomas Glauben (IAMO) at the MoU signing ceremony