Chinese Academy of Sciences Visits AFBI

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has welcomed a delegation of senior officials from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to its Hillsborough research farm. CAS is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China and the delegation was interested in the current agri-food research programme within AFBI and in mechanisms of agri-food research funding in the UK.

The group was led by Professor Xiaoxuan Li from CAS’s Innovation Management and Evaluation Research Centre and the visit was supported by the British Embassy in Beijing. Counsellor Mian Wu from the Chinese Consulate in Belfast also joined the group at AFBI Hillsborough.

Drs Sinclair Mayne, Ziping Wu and Linda Farmer from AFBI discussed a wide range of issues with the visitors including AFBI’s current agri-food research programme, and potential for further collaboration with institutes in China. Drs Alistair Carson, DARD Departmental Science Adviser and Dr Elaine Groom, Northern Ireland Agri-Food contact person for the EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme also addressed the visitors.

The delegation was particularly interested to see the research facilities at AFBI Hillsborough and to meet with a number of AFBI’s Chinese postgraduate students under the supervision of Dr Tianhai Yan, a senior research scientist based at Hillsborough.
 

Notes to editors: 

AFBI carries out high-quality technology research and development, statutory, analytical, and diagnostic testing functions for DARD and other Government departments, public bodies and commercial companies.

AFBI's Vision is “Scientific excellence in Northern Ireland … serving the world”.

All media enquiries to AFBI Press Office 028 9025 5326.

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