On October 7, 2024, a delegation from the Beijing University of Agriculture (BUA), led by President Prof. Liusheng Duan, had an academic exchange meeting with the EU-China Higher Education Research Center (ECHE) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Organized by the ECHE and the LEAD Academic Network, the visit aimed to enhance academic collaboration and explore new opportunities for partnership between BUA, ECHE of VUB, and the LEAD Academic Network, a platform promoting international cooperation in higher education.
The BUA delegation, comprising key faculty members from various departments, was warmly welcomed by Prof. Chang Zhu, Xiaohong Tong (International Office of VUB), and members of the EU-China Higher Education Research Center at VUB. The visit commenced with a presentation by Xiaohong Tong, International Relations Officer at VUB, highlighting VUB’s global educational initiatives, innovative learning methods, and its strong partnerships with Chinese institutions.
Following this, President Liusheng Duan provided an in-depth overview of BUA’s research focus areas, which include agricultural development, ecological health, and rural governance. He emphasized BUA's commitment to fostering global partnerships and advancing agricultural research in line with sustainable development goals.
Zhengwen Qi from the LEAD Academic Network then presented on the EU-China Higher Education Research Center and the LEAD Academic Network. He underscored the network's mission to strengthen academic ties between European and Chinese higher education institutions, and its role in fostering cross-institutional leadership training programs.
The visit concluded with a fruitful discussion on future collaboration, paving the way for deeper cooperation between BUA, ECHE of VUB, and the LEAD Academic Network, particularly in areas such as faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and academic leadership development. Other cooperation potential areas were also discussed with the officers from the International office of VUB.
