Dean Jikun Huang Leads Delegation to Visit the University of Sydney

Release date：2025/11/20　　Source： CCAP

To further advance the deep collaboration between Peking University and the University of Sydney in the fields of agriculture and green development, and to implement the construction goals of the “Peking University–University of Sydney Joint Center for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture” (hereinafter referred to as the “Joint Center”), Professor  Jikun Huang, Dean of the School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Peking University, led a seven-person delegation to the University of Sydney from November 11 to 15, 2025, for a five-day academic exchange and field investigation.

The delegation members included Professor Chengfang Liu(Co-director of the Joint Center), Professor Yuehui He, Professor Hongmei Yi, and Researcher Kaixing Huang from the School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences ; Professor Yuling  Jiaofrom the School of Life Sciences; and Researcher Shisheng Chen from the Peking University Institute of Modern Agriculture.

Group Photo at the University of Sydney

This visit marks another important milestone following the joint inauguration of the Joint Center and the first academic symposium held in November 2024, signifying that bilateral cooperation has now entered a stage of substantive advancement.

On November 12, the second academic symposium of the Joint Center was held at the RD Watt Building of the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Agriculture. Professor Brent Kaiser, Co-director of the Joint Center, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered welcoming remarks.

Professor  Jikun Huang, Dean of School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University , reviewed the series of exchanges and collaborative activities between the two universities in agricultural research and education since 2023 and outlined visions for cooperation in crop breeding, digital agriculture, resource and environmental economics, and other fields.

Professor Damien Field, Director of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture, also attended and addressed the audience.

Subsequently, Professor Jikun  Huang, Professor Yuehui He, Professor Yuling Jiao, Researcher Kaixing Huang, as well as Professor Tiho Ancev, Associate Professor Sonia Liu, Associate Professor Marcus Heisler, and Dr. Farhad Masoomi-Aladizgeh from the University of Sydney delivered thematic presentations on topics including digital agriculture, plant development, resource economics, and sustainable agriculture. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on key issues covering agricultural economics and biotechnology.

Second Academic Symposium of the Joint Center Held at the RD Watt Building

On November 13, accompanied by Professor Brent Kaiser, the delegation traveled to Canberra to visit the Australian National University (ANU) Institute for Plant & Food Innovation.

The delegation was received by Professor Owen Atkin, Director of the Institute, Professor Allen Wen, Head of the Platform Division, and their team. They introduced the Institute’s research fields, strategic priorities, and ANU’s progress in plant systems biology and phenomics.

The delegation also visited the CSIRO Plant Phenomics Facility and greenhouses, where discussions were held with researchers on crop stress-resistance breeding and the application of digital and intelligent technologies in scientific research and management.

Visit to ANU: Meetings with the Institute for Plant & Food Innovation

On the morning of November 14, the delegation visited the Eco Fresh Organics aquaculture base of the University of Sydney at Coldstay, learning about sustainable aquaculture and organic vegetable production in Australia.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Plant Breeding Institute at the University of Sydney. Associate Professor Peng Zhang and Dr. Yi Ding introduced the Institute’s research on wheat rust resistance and field breeding trials and discussed future cooperation possibilities in crop disease-resistance breeding.

Field Visit to Eco Fresh Organics and the Plant Breeding Institute

During the visit, the two sides held consultations on the Joint Center’s next-phase operational mechanisms, personnel exchanges, and joint doctoral training programs, further clarifying cooperation pathways and timelines.

This visit further strengthened mutual understanding and reinforced consensus on scientific research collaboration, talent cultivation, and platform co-construction. It laid a solid foundation for the continued development of the Joint Center.

Moving forward, the two universities will continue to focus on the global issue of food security and sustainable agricultural development, promoting high-level agricultural innovation and international talent training, and jointly contributing to food security and sustainable agriculture in China, Australia, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.