On April 7, a Central and Eastern Europe agricultural technology delegation, led by Braun Tibor, Deputy Mayor of Kozármisleny, Hungary, visited our university. The event was attended by Zhou Jipeng, Member of the University Party Committee and Vice President; Wang Chong, Secretary of the Party Group of Foreign Affairs Office of Zibo Municipal People’s Government; Li Ling, Chairmanof the Zibo Municipal Committee of the China Democratic League; as well as representatives of Chinese and foreign enterprises. Officials in charge from the Personnel Office, the Office of Science and Research, the International Affairs Office, and the School of Forestry Engineering, along with experts and scholars from relevant fields, also participated in the meeting.

The delegation conducted on-site visits to the university’s laboratories in food science, entomology, and related fields, followed by a symposium. Zhou Jipeng, Wang Chong, Braun Tibor, and Li Ling delivered speeches, respectively introducing the basic situations of the university, Zibo City, and Kozármisleny. All parties expressed their hope to deepen cooperation in areas such as agricultural technology, intensive processing of agricultural products, and the development and utilization of resource insects.

Tomaz Amon, President of the Slovenia-China Friendship Association, and Jiao Chao, President of the Central and Eastern Europe-China Science and Technology Exchange Association, delivered presentations on agricultural biotechnology and industrial cooperation. Zhou Jipeng presented certificates of appointment as Distinguished Professors to Tomaz Amon and Jiao Chao.

In the next step, the university will work with partners in Central and Eastern Europe to jointly establish an Agricultural Science and Technology Service Center, and further deepen cooperation in education, science, and technology with countries in the region. It will promote the transformation of agricultural scientific and technological achievements and their alignment with industry, advance two-way exchanges and joint training of teachers and students, and contribute to the development of a strong agricultural province and the Belt and Road Initiative, thereby enhancing the role of higher education institutions in promoting agricultural and cultural exchanges between China and Europe.