On January 11th, 2026, the International Academic Exchange Conference on Agricultural Technology Innovation and Cooperation (a series event of UNESCO's "International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD)" Project on Agricultural Engineering S&T for a Sustainable Planet), meticulously planned and co-hosted by relevant institutions with the strong support of the International Academic Organizations Alliance (IAOA), successfully concluded in an online format. With the theme of "International Agricultural Technology Innovation and Cooperation", the conference attracted extensive participation from scientific research experts, university faculty and students, industry practitioners, and international partners in the global agricultural field.
Focusing on the core issues of global agricultural sustainable development, the conference conducted in-depth discussions around key directions such as breakthroughs in agricultural technology innovation, optimization of cross-border cooperation paths, and talent and achievement transformation. It gathered consensus to address common challenges such as global food security and climate change, and also built an important platform for serving agricultural exchanges and cooperation under the "Belt and Road" Initiative.
As a global academic cooperation hub committed to bridging international scientific and technological exchanges, IAOA has fully leveraged its network advantages in integrating global intellectual resources, actively coordinating and linking partners from various countries to ensure the smooth progress of the conference. The event was co-organized by the International Joint Research Center for Biomass Energy Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Clean Utilization of Biomass, Service Platform for International Professionals, ZGC Tianhe Technology Transfer Center, IAOA, Africa Open University, and Liberia Academy of Sciences, effectively facilitating extensive participation and efficient interaction among international representatives.
During the conference, four renowned Chinese and foreign experts delivered keynote reports in turn, sharing cutting-edge achievements and practical experience that resonated widely. Emmanuel Fred, President of the Liberia Academy of Sciences, systematically introduced in his report "The Development Overview of the Liberia Academy of Sciences and the Outlook on Liberia's Agricultural Development" that agriculture is the pillar of Liberia's national economy, absorbing over 60% of the country's labor force and making remarkable contributions to GDP. He also elaborated on the Liberian government's agricultural optimization policies and the achievements of the Liberia Academy of Sciences (established in 2023 and becoming a core national think tank in 2025) in advancing interdisciplinary research in agriculture and other fields to support national reconstruction and economic diversification.
Professor Obid Tursunov from TIIAME National Research University (Uzbekistan) shared research findings on eco-friendly laser biotechnology for promoting plant growth under extreme conditions. Experimental data demonstrated that this technology can improve plant growth performance and shorten seed germination cycles, holding significant application value in scenarios such as contaminated soil remediation and vegetation restoration in high-salinity areas.
The implementation of cutting-edge technologies and international collaboration were the core focuses of the conference. Crispin Robert, Chief International Technical Advisor of the World Bank's Clean Cookstoves Initiative, addressed the low thermal efficiency and excessive smoke emissions of traditional stoves in Africa, detailing the innovative design of improved stoves—achieving enhanced thermal efficiency through structural optimizations like ceramic grates and diffuser plates. He also shared the case of upgrading clove oil distillation stoves in Madagascar, where measures such as a split structure and sealed optimization realized energy recycling, with relevant technologies showing great potential in livelihood scenarios including fish drying and food processing.
Professor Zhou Yuguang from China Agricultural University, affiliated with the International Cooperation Center for Biomass Energy Science and Technology and the Key Laboratory of Clean Utilization Technology for Renewable Energy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, introduced international cooperation achievements in biomass energy and emphasized the important value of biomass technology in carbon reduction and sequestration. The conference also showcased the progress of the ISO Technical Committee on Biogas (ISO TC 255) and remarkable outcomes of multilateral cooperation, while reaching a number of cross-border cooperation consensuses on key agricultural issues during interactive discussions.
A representative from IAOA stated in the conference summary: "IAOA has always been committed to building a global platform for academic exchange and cooperation, and promoting in-depth collaboration in agricultural science and technology among countries. Currently, global agricultural development is facing dual opportunities and challenges of resource integration and technological upgrading. Promoting cross-border agricultural technology innovation and cooperation is an important practice to advance the Global Development Initiative and facilitate the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This conference, supported by IAOA, has successfully built a bridge for international exchanges in agricultural science and technology, laying a solid foundation for deepening multi-regional coordinated development."
The representative added: "In the future, IAOA will continue to give full play to its coordinating role, focusing on cooperation needs across regions such as China and Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan and Africa, and China and Africa. We will further promote the establishment of regular academic exchange mechanisms, accelerate the practical transformation of technological achievements, and strengthen precise talent connection, so as to contribute to building a win-win new pattern of international agricultural cooperation and boosting the high-quality development of global agriculture."
It is reported that with the coordination of IAOA, the professional service team established by the co-host institutions will provide full-process follow-up services for the cooperation consensuses reached at the conference, including technical demand connection, cooperation plan coordination, and policy resource alignment, to ensure the effective implementation of cooperation projects. Subsequently, IAOA will join hands with all co-hosts and partners to continuously plan and organize a series of cross-border agricultural technology exchange activities, promoting the efficient flow of global high-quality agricultural technology and intellectual resources, and making positive contributions to serving national opening-up strategies and optimizing the global agricultural governance system.