MoU Signing Ceremony between Kasetsart University and The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), People’s Republic of China

         On 23 September 2024, in Meeting Room 9, 2nd floor, the Kasetsart Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center Building, Kasetsart University, Bangkhen Campus, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, Acting President of Kasetsart University, presided over the ceremony and delivered welcoming remarks. He was joined by university administrators and faculty members, including Professor Emeritus Peerasak Srinives, Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the KU Council; Professor Dr. Dokrak Marod, Vice President for Research and International Affairs; Associate Professor Dr. Nisa Leksungnoen, Assistant to the President for Research and Internationalization; Associate Professor Dr. Chamaipak Maiklad, Assistant to the President for International Affairs; Assistant Professor Dr. Prakit Somta, Deputy Head of the Department of Administration, Research, and Academic Services, Faculty of Agriculture, Kamphaeng Saen; Mrs. Hathaitus Semchuchot, Acting Director of the International Affairs Division; and staff from the International Affairs Division.

         The ceremony was attended by a delegation of nine officials from CAAS, including Professor Liu Xianwu, Vice President of CAAS; Professor Hao Zhiqiang, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA) at CAAS; Professor Mao Shiping, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development (IAED); Professor Zhou Guomin, Director General of the Nanjing Institute for Agricultural Mechanization (NRIAM), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Professor Zhang Shengping, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers (IVF) at CAAS; Professor Liu Shuang, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Urban Agriculture (IUA) at CAAS; Professor Wang Wensheng, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Crop Sciences (ICS) at CAAS; Professor Wang Lixia, from ICS at CAAS; and Ms. Liu Xiyan, Program Officer at the Center for International Agricultural Research (CIAR) at CAAS, during their official visit to Kasetsart University.

         Before commencing the MoU signing ceremony between Kasetsart University and CAAS, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat welcomed the delegation and provided an overview of Kasetsart University. Both sides exchanged information about their respective institutions. Professor Liu Xianwu expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and emphasized that CAAS is China’s leading agricultural research institute, focusing on crop development, livestock, soil science, and agricultural technology. CAAS consists of 34 research institutes across the country, specializing in various areas of agricultural science, from crop science to animal husbandry, biotechnology, and agricultural economics. These institutes collaborate to address significant scientific and technological challenges to advance China’s agricultural and rural development. Additionally, specific institutes under CAAS, such as IAED, NRIAM, IVF, IUA, ICS, and CIAR, have distinct roles in research and development: • IAED: Agricultural economics and rural development research • NRIAM: Development of agricultural machinery and technology • IVF: Research on vegetable and flower varieties • IUA: Urban agriculture research • ICS: Research in plant genetics, breeding, and biotechnology for crop yield enhancement and resilience • CIAR: Focuses on international agricultural cooperation, research collaboration, and the promotion of global agricultural development.

         The new MoU, titled “Memorandum of Understanding for Strengthening the Collaboration Based on The Joint Laboratory on Food Legume Research,” formalizes academic cooperation between Kasetsart University and CAAS. Since 1985, the two institutions have collaborated, including sending researchers to train at the World Vegetable Center. At that time, Professor Emeritus Peerasak Srinives, Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the KU Council, led a project on mung beans, resulting in knowledge exchange and joint publications on mung beans and other legumes. This collaboration led to the establishment of the Joint Laboratory of Legume Crops at Kasetsart University’s Kamphaeng Saen campus, with Assistant Professor Dr. Prakit Somta as the project leader.

         In this context, Kasetsart University invited the CAAS executives, along with representatives from the six internal institutes (IAED, NRIAM, IVF, IUA, ICS, and CIAR), to attend the MoU signing ceremony and participate in academic discussions with KU. This collaboration aims to promote sustainable agricultural development, agricultural technology adoption, modern agricultural economics, and the exchange of expertise in various fields. This visit provides an opportunity for both institutions to exchange information, knowledge, and technology, and it opens the door to future collaboration on beneficial agricultural research projects and activities. The meeting covered various topics, such as research collaboration, joint project development, education and training support, enhancing agricultural capabilities, and building international networks. The new MoU will serve as a foundation for future joint work.

         Following the signing ceremony, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat presented commemorative gifts to the CAAS delegation, followed by a group photo. The CAAS delegation then toured Kasetsart University’s Bangkhen campus before heading to Kamphaeng Saen campus.