On September 21st, Opening Ceremony for Class 2024 of Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program in Plant Protection between our university and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was held at the Bei Xiu Shan Auditorium on north campus, NWAFU. Vice President of NWAFU, Luo Jun, Vice President of UNL, Michael Boehm, Dean of College of Plant Protection of NWAFU, Guo Jun, Dean of College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of UNL, Tiffany Heng-Moss, and heads of five departments and faculties including the Department of Plant Pathology, as well as heads of functional departments, such as the Academic Affairs Office, International Cooperation and Exchange Office, and Student Affairs Office, attended the ceremony.
Luo Jun extended a warm welcome to the representatives of UNL. He pointed out that during the period of cooperation, the two universities had actively integrated various resources and widely applied new technologies to revolutionize traditional education and teaching methods, achieving an innovative fusion of Sino-foreign education and teaching philosophies. He encouraged the students to keep their missions and responsibilities in mind, to aim high and contribute to food security of human being.Michael Boehm expressed his delight that 51 freshmen had joined our education program. He encouraged the students to seize the opportunity, fully utilize teaching resources, conduct professional research with dedication on an advantageous platform, enhance their professional competence, and grow into composite international agricultural talents as soon as possible.Guo Jun stated that this program was the first Sino-foreign cooperative undergraduate program in Plant Protection field of our country, fully leveraging the advantages of both parties and providing a broad platform for cultivating leading talents in Plant Protection with international vision and innovative capabilities. He expressed his hope for further cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to establish a joint research center for crop pests and disease control, contributing to the green production of crops for all humanity.Tiffany Heng-Moss introduced the basic situation of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in terms of its educational history, scientific research, faculty team, and talent cultivation. She hoped that the students could solidify their professional knowledge foundation during this stage, understand the international trends in professional development, and enhance their abilities.Liu Zhonghan, a representative of the 2024 freshmen of College of Plant Protection, recounted his curiosity and love for plants throughout his growth. Teacher representative Zuo Yayun believed that joining the cooperative education program was a new starting point for students to explore agricultural knowledge, pursue scientific truths, and realize their life ideals.The vice presidents of both universities pinned university badges on representatives of freshmen of our program, symbolizing the everlasting friendship between the two universities and their continued cooperation in seeking the path of talent development. This Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program in Plant Protection not only provides high-quality international educational resources for students in Plant Protection but also makes outstanding contributions to advancing the process of agricultural modernization in China. Our university will continue to deepen reforms, improve education quality, and cultivate more high-quality talents with international vision in the future.
