On the morning of Oct 19th, the first international forum south-south cooperation and development, sponsored by Zhejiang University, International Food Policy Research Institute, UK Department for International Development, (DFID) was held in Hangzhou to reduce the poverty and impel the south-south cooperation including African countries. There were specialists, scholars and officers from nearly 30 countries in the forum. In the following 3 days, the delegates would discuss the agriculture and rural development in both China and Africa, anti-poverty program under financial crisis.

Vice-Chancellor Yuzhi Wang attended the opening ceremony of the forum. On behalf of Zhejiang University she greeted all the delegates and appreciated the support from International Food Policy Research Institute, UK Department for International Development. She introduced the cooperation between Zhejiang University and the developing countries in Africa and hoped that the forum could provide the platform for experience exchange to promote the cooperation in depth and breadth.

The theme of the forum was food safety, rural development and poverty reduction. Specialists from International Food Policy Research Institute made the keynote speeches on how China help Africa reduce poverty and integrated program on agriculture development in Africa. The delegates had a detailed discussion on international agriculture cooperation in Africa and the experience and enlightenment about the agriculture and rural development in China. Besides, the delegates would investigate thenew countryside construction in Huzhou.

Zhejiang University paid great attention to the cooperation with the developing countries in Africa. It’s said that Zhejiang University have hold the advanced seminars on poverty reduction and small farmer globalization 9 times for the officers from the developing countries in Africa since 2004. There were more than 400 officers participating in the program and more and more students in Africa chose to get their master or doctor degree in Zhejiang University. In the mean time, ZJU enhanced the academic exchanges with African countries, especially in agriculture.