On the morning of May 13th, the inauguration ceremony of FAFU-DAL Joint College was held in Qishan Campus. Huang Shaorong (Deputy Director-General of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office), Chen Xiaomei (Level II Bureau Rank Official of Fujian Province Department of Education), Matt Hebb (Vice-President of Dalhousie University ), Wang Gefu (Acting Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University) , Lan Siren (President of FAFU), Chen Shikui (Vice Chair of the University Council), Zheng Baodong (Vice President of FAFU), Lin Qingfan (Vice President of FAFU), Tang Zhenpeng (Vice President of FAFU) and Chen Yan (Chair of Discipline Inspection Committee) attended the ceremony and jointly unveiled the plaque of the college. The ceremony was chaired by Zheng Baodong. 

Establishment Ceremony of FAFU-DAL Joint College

Unveiling of the Plaque of FAFU-DAL Joint College 

Remarks by President Lan Siren

Lan Siren delivered a speech on behalf of FAFU. He stated that the establishment of the FAFU-DAL Joint College not only marks an upgrade from project to institution in the more than 20 years partnership between FAFU and DAL, but symbolizes another major breakthrough in FAFU international education. Lan Siren put forward three requirements for the next development of the Joint College. Firstly, we should actively explore the integrated paradigm of fostering agricultural and forestry talents with global vision. Secondly, we should continue to expand the levels and fields of Sino-foreign cooperative education. Thirdly, we should strive to build a high-level model brand of Sino-foreign cooperative education. Through these efforts, we will make greater contributions to the national strategy and the opening-up of Fujian Province's education, deepening of the friendly relationship between Fujian Province and Nova Scotia, Canada, and promotion of educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Canada.

Remarks by Kim Brooks, President of Dalhousie University

Kim Brooks, President of DAL, delivered a video speech on behalf of DAL regarding the establishment of the Joint College. She stated that the Joint College will continue to provide high-quality educational resources for students and that the two sides will be committed to promoting the continuous development and expansion of the cooperation level and scale.

Remarks by Matt Hebb, Vice President of Dalhousie University

Matt Hebb warmly congratulated the establishment of the Joint College. He stated that the partnership between DAL and FAFU has a long history and has been continuously deepening for over 20 years. He hoped that FAFU and DAL will start a new chapter of friendship and cooperation and embrace a better future together with the unveiling of the plaque of the Joint College.

Remarks by Huang Shaorong, Deputy Director-General of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office

Huang Shaorong, on behalf of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, congratulated the establishment of the Joint College. She hoped that the two universities would take this opportunity to strengthen integration of high-quality resources to achieve complementarity, expand cooperation and exchange, and build the Joint College into an exemplary Sino-foreign cooperative education institution to further enhance understanding and people-to-people friendship.

Remarks by Behzad Babakhani, Consul General of Canada in Guangzhou

Behzad Babakhani, Consul General of Canada in Guangzhou, delivered a video speech as a representative of the Canadian government. He stated that the establishment of the Joint College has successfully built a bridge between Canada and China, especially between Nova Scotia and Fujian Province, marking a milestone stage in the cooperation between the two sides.

After the unveiling ceremony, Matt Hebb delivered a report about Dalhousie University, and Professor Wang Gefu introduced the cooperative education project, allowing FAFU faculty members and students to have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of DAL and the advantages of the cooperative projects. After the meeting, school leaders of FAFU invited the Canadian delegation to plant a Banyan tree to mark the cooperative relationship between the two universities.

FAFU-DAL Officials Jointly Plant a Banyan Tree

Previously, on the afternoon of May 12th, FAFU President Lan Siren met with the DAL delegation led by Matt Hebb in the reception room on the 13th floor of Mingde Building, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges on further deepening and expanding cooperation. The DAL delegation also visited the special exhibition hall of Care and Guidance of President Xi Jinping for FAFU’s Development  and FAFU history museum, and conducted on-site tour of the State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Smart Farm Practice and Teaching Base, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Research Center.

President Lan Siren Meets with DAL Delegation 

FAFU and DAL Officials Visit the Exhibition Hall of Care and Guidance of President Xi Jinping for FAFU’s Development

It is reported that the newly established FAFU-DAL Joint College, as a high-level Sino-foreign cooperative education institution, will take advantages of the high-quality educational resources from both FAFU and DAL. It will officially enroll students in 2024 and adopt a 4+0 mode whereby students complete their study on the FAFU campus in four years. Two bachelor’s degrees — one in Landscape Architecture and the other in Agricultural Economics — will be offered to start, and more than 30 courses will be introduced from DAL, including Microeconomic Principles, Business Essentials, Lawn Grass Production and Management, and The Art and Architecture of Landscape. It aims to train international high-quality innovative talents with solid theoretical and professional knowledge, and practical and innovative ability to apply knowledge and modern information technology in handling technical and management work.

About 500 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including the Principal of the Department of American and Oceanian Affairs in Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Foreign Vice Dean and Administrative Director of the FAFU-DAL Joint College, the heads of administrative departments and colleges of FAFU, alumni representatives, and representatives of FAFU teachers and students.

Correspondant: International College  Publicity Department  Sui Fanghua

Photogragher:Publicity Department  Gao Yan  Cao Jiayi

Translators: Chen Jun, International College

Meng Yaqi, International College