The inaugural Massey Week was held at Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) recently and included online participation, guidance and support from staff and students from both institutions.
It is the first time the event has been held at the HZAU campus, which included daily virtual activities, providing opportunities for academics from both universities to showcase their expertise and facilitate research collaboration.
One of the activities included academic staff presenting their research during five parallel round table discussions. More than 200 academic staff and students participated in the discussions covering the areas of high efficiency and phenotype of crops; omics and animal breeding; animal production and farm systems; ecological environment and green development; and fruit quality control.
Massey also hosted a session for HZAU student Jin Sha to talk about her study experience here. Ms Sha recently graduated with a Master of Veterinary Studies. HZAU students were also able to explore Massey by using its virtual reality campus tour online. Students competed in a treasure hunt by finding clues around the AgHort lecture rooms and laboratories.
Massey established its partnership with Huazhong Agricultural University nearly 40 years ago, providing an opportunity for students to have an educational experience at one of China’s strongest agricultural research universities.
During Massey Week, two cooperative agreements were signed to extend student articulation programmes to include Agricultural, Horticultural and Environmental Science, in addition to the existing collaborative Animal Science programme.
In the virtual ceremony held to sign the agreement, Vice Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas said the continued partnership with Huazhong Agricultural University encourages the exchange and sharing of academic, scientific and cultural experiences.
“There is a significant commitment from faculty at both Massey and Huazhong Agricultural University to develop teaching programmes and research experiences for students at both universities that are bilingual, and respond to global issues such as climate change, supply chain management, efficient production and water quality.
“Most importantly, both universities seek to produce graduates who care about the communities they serve, both local and global,” Professor Thomas said.
Previously Massey faculty would have travelled to China to visit HZAU campus and share their expertise. COVID-19 travel restrictions meant the event was held online, allowing a larger involvement of teaching staff and strengthening the partnership between the two universities.