Systematic Innovation for Food Security and Rural Sustainability in China

Global challenges in rural poverty, food security, climate change call for international research collaboration in sustainable agriculture and rural transformation. A UK and China early career researcher (ECR) Links Workshop has been jointly funded by the Newton Fund and Natural Science Foundation of China (Newton-NSFC) for researchers from two countries to develop research collaboration related to ecological agriculture, food system and rural transition.

With the support from internationally renowned scholars and industrial leaders, 41 ECRs from 30 research institutions (universities) across natural and social sciences have been gathered online for sharing their experience and research findings, and developing common interests and roadmaps in collaborative research and engagement with industrial stakeholders.

This online Workshop aims to:

• exchange challenge-oriented and systematic approach for food security and rural sustainability research
• share research findings and methodologic exploration for interdisciplinary research design and implementation
• identify opportunities and pathways for research and innovation collaboration between ECRs and industrial stakeholders from two countries.

Structure of the Workshop

Day1 (8/12): Systematic methodology for food/rural studies

• Keynote speeches (1): Houkai Wei (CASS), Shenggen Fan (CAU); David Salt (UoN)
• Research findings from ECRs
• Group reports and roundtable discussion with mentors

Day 2(9/12): UK-China collaboration in agricultural and rural development

• Global challenges and policy responses: opening ceremony and VIP address
• Keynote speech (2): Jules Pretty (Essex); Richard Baker (Newton Fund); Dave Ross (Agri-EPI)
• Roadmaps for UK-China collaboration: ECR reports and roundtable discussion

Who and how to participate?

We welcome researchers (including doctoral and postgraduate students) and representatives of industrial stakeholders who are interested in food system or rural transition; or systematic thinking and innovation; or UK-China collaboration in agricultural/rural research and innovation.

To attend, register via the Eventbrite page.

For Informal queries about the Workshop Programme please contact Dr Bin Wu (bin.wu@nottingham.ac.uk), PI of this Project

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by a Researcher Links grant, ID (2020-RLWK12-10436), under the UK-China partnership (Newton Fund). The grant is funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and delivered by the British Council (BC).

Co-funded by:  Newton Fund and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

Delivered  by: British Council

Co-PIs: Dr Bin Wu from Nottingham University Business School of the University of Nottingham (UoN) and Dr Tongquan Sun from Rural Development Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)

In partnership with:  James Hutton Institute (JHI), China Agricultural University, Center for International Agricultural Research, CASS, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation (Agri-EPI) Centre, and China-Britain Regional Initiative (CBRI).