Recently, to actively support China’s Belt and Road Initiative and further strengthen strategic cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe, a delegation led by Hu Hao, Assistant to the President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and Director of the Division of Human Resources, visited Bulgaria and Romania.
During the visit, the delegation met with the Institute of Agricultural Economics (IAE) of the Bulgarian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (BAAS), the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria (UNWE), the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest in Romania.
The delegation also participated in the China–Bulgaria Youth Forum marking the 10th anniversary of Belt and Road cooperation between China and Bulgaria, as well as the 18th Meeting of the China–Bulgaria Intergovernmental Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. In addition, they joined the delegation of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology in a visit to IAE to review ongoing international scientific collaboration between SJTU and Bulgarian research institutions. Representatives from the School of Design and the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange joined the visit.
On the morning of October 23 (local time), the delegation attended the China–Bulgaria Youth Forum marking the 10th anniversary of Belt and Road cooperation between China and Bulgaria, co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Ministry of Youth and Sports. The event was joined by Atanas Zafirov, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and Dai Qingli, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria. Representatives of young scholars from SJTU participated in the sub-forum on youth scientific research and entrepreneurship, delivered keynote presentations, and shared nearly a decade of scientific and technological collaboration between SJTU and Bulgarian research institutions.
On the afternoon of October 23, the delegation visited the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria, where the two sides discussed strengthening cooperation in student exchange and training programs, joint research, and project applications.
On October 24, the delegation visited the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest in Romania. Ge Hongbo, Science and Technology Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Romania joined the meeting. Both sides held in-depth discussions on collaborative scientific research and talent cultivation, with a particular focus on climate change and rural climate resilience.
On October 26, the delegation of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), during its visit to Bulgaria, conducted a field study at the Institute of Agricultural Economics— SJTU’s primary partner institution in Bulgaria. Vice Minister of MOST Chen Jiachang, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation Dai Gang, as well as representatives from MOST, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria attended the meeting. Hu Hao, Assistant to the President of SJTU; Che Shengquan, Professor of the School of Design and Chinese Director of the China–Bulgaria Joint Laboratory under the Belt and Road Initiative; Bozhidar Ivanov, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics; and Hrabryan Bashev, Bulgarian Director of the Joint Laboratory, reported to the MOST delegation on nearly a decade of bilateral scientific cooperation and its outcomes.
On October 27, the delegation attended the 18th Meeting of the China–Bulgaria Intergovernmental Joint Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, co-chaired by Chen Jiachang, Vice Minister of MOST, and Nikolay Vitanov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Bulgaria. On behalf of SJTU, Hu Hao presented an overview of the university’s collaborative research with Bulgarian partner institutions. Both sides exchanged views on science and technology innovation policies, reviewed progress in personnel exchanges and joint research, and identified key areas for future cooperation. They agreed that China–Bulgaria cooperation in science and technology has yielded substantial and pragmatic results based on the two countries’ strategic partnership and committed to further strengthening joint R&D projects and science- and technology-related cultural exchanges., so as to enhance the role of S&T cooperation in bilateral relations.
On October 28, the delegation visited the Agricultural University of Plovdiv and attended the ceremony marking its 80th anniversary. Briana Ivanova, Rector of the university, expressed her appreciation to the SJTU delegation for attending the celebration and exchanged views on further enhancing research collaboration and personnel exchanges.
On October 29, the delegation participated in the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and the 10th Forum on Agricultural and Rural Sustainable Development. The forum, co-organized by the Institute and the EU Rural Development Alliance, gathered more than 100 researchers from Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries. The SJTU delegation delivered a keynote speech at the event.
This visit not only strengthened the close ties between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Bulgarian research institutions, but also opened a new chapter of comprehensive cooperation in collaborative innovation, joint laboratory development, high-level talent exchanges, and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Translated by: Denise
Proofreading: Elizabeth Pan
