Benha University receives the largest-ever academic delegation from Huazhong Agricultural University, China

Prof. Dr. Ali Shams El Din, the president of Benha University invited a class delegation of Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), China from April 3 to April 7, 2016 to visit Benha University. The target of this visit is to strengthen the relationship between both sides and sign a new agreement for student exchange. The largest-ever delegation was led by President Deng Xiuxin and consists of six distinguished leaders from HZAU. The BU leaders discussed the cooperation with HZAU delegates in different areas such as education collaboration on encouraging talented international students, cultural exchanges, facilitating young faculty member's academic visits and recruitment talented postdoc from BU. This visit comes in a frame of the new Chinese strategy of «One Belt and one Road Initiative».
In April 4, a signing ceremony was performed resulting in a new agreement for student exchange in which HZAU offers the young scientists of BU a total of 25 PhD scholarships funded from the Chinese side. On the other hand, BU offered invitations for a total of 50 students and 10 staff members from HZAU to visit BU and encourage the cultural exchange. This allows the Chinese candidates to get involved in the Egyptian academic and civilian society and know more about the Egyptian history. The BU and HZAU leaders delivered the acceptance certificates for the young Egyptian scientists who won the 2016 scholarships.
A round-table talks on establishing a Sino/Egyptian Center with mutual fund to encourage students and staff mobility and future collaborations was conducted. Prof. Hesham Aboleneen, the vice president for post-graduate and research discussed with president Deng the mutual engagement. The viewpoints were in harmony all the time. The discussions rises on a future cooperation and new agreement, which will be drafted and signed in the near future. Prof. Maher Khalil, advisor of BU president and Prof. Mahmoud Eraky, Dean college of Agriculture attended the meeting from the Egyptian side, while Prof. Dr. Hu Chengxiao, International Affairs College, Prof. Dr. Han Heyou, Graduate School and Dr. Xiao Zhidong, Department of Human Resources attended from the Chinese side.
During the visit, the valuable delegation attended the 3rd International conference on Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture, Moshtohor - Sharm El-sheikh. President Deng was the honorable guest of the conference and gave a speech in the opening ceremony. In addition, Prof. Dr. Yang Lioguo, Prof. Dr. Zhao Shuhong and Prof. Dr. Wang Xuelu, as invited speakers in the conference, have also presented the scientific advancements in HZAU and China.
President Ali Shams El Din facilitated a short-visit for HZAU delegate to Cairo University and Chinese Confucius Institute at Cairo University. President Shams El Din mentioned that HZAU recently became one of our main partners, and he promised to spend every possible efforts for strengthen such a cooperation. Moreover, President Shams El Din sent an open invitation to Prof. Deng to visit BU again at his earliest convenience.
It is worth noting that the relationship between BU and HZAU was back to May 2015 when the Egyptian delegation led by Prof. Soliman Mostafa, the vice president of BU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HZAU leaders in Wuhan, China. Immediately after signing such an MOU, the program of student and staff exchange was started since HZAU has invited 7 postdoctoral young scientists and 5 PhD candidates to get a full-funded scholarships from the Chinese side. On the other hand, Bu invited 5 Chinese students with their supervisor for a short visit to BU. The communication between both sides did not stop since that time and more fruitful programs were activated.

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