In 2017, to respond to the call of the BRI and China-African Cooperation, JSU has reached an agreement with Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture to carry out agricultural mechanization training programs since 2018.
1. The First Training Program
In August 2018, JSU, CAMCO and Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia jointly organized the first Training Workshop on Agricultural Mechanization Staff of Jiangsu University for Zambia with 54 agricultural mechanization managerial staff from 10 provinces and cities in Zambia participating in the three-week training. The Minister of Agriculture of Zambia Michael Katambo, the Political Counselor of Embassy of The People’s Republic of China in The Republic of Zambia Lai Bo, the Vice President of Jiangsu University Zhang Jijian, and the President of CAMCO Li Tie attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Prof. Mao Hanping, Prof. Chen Shuren, Prof. Liu Jizhan, and Prof. Hu Yongguang from Jiangsu University gave lessons by focusing on the status and trends of facility agricultural equipment, farmland operation mechanization, irrigation technology, and intelligent agricultural equipment and agricultural robots and other issues.
2. The Second Training Program
In July 2019, Jiangsu University, China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation, and Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia jointly organized the second agricultural mechanization training program. 115 representatives from Zambian government departments, universities, farms, and farmers’ associations attended the four-week training program. Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo, the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia Peter Lungu, the Political Counselor of Embassy of The People’s Republic of China in The Republic of Zambia Lai Bo, Senior Chief of Cooperbelt Province of Zambia Chiwala, Vice President of UNZA Luke Mumba, and Vice President of JSU Zhao Yutao attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Prof. Chen Shuren, Prof. Si Qiaorui and Prof. Ma Haile of JSU gave lessons on the theme of agricultural mechanization, irrigation technology and equipment, and agricultural product processing technology and equipment. Vice President Zhao Yutao, President of CAMCO Li Tie jointly inaugurated the “Agricultural Mechanization Training and Practice Base in Africa (Zambia) for Jiangsu University, China”. He then inaugurated “Cultural Exchange Center in Africa (Zambia) for Jiangsu University, China” with Xu Qiong, President of China Hainan Zambia Co., Ltd.
3.The Third Training Program
Based on the effective achievements of the previous two training programs, JSU organized the 3rd traini ng program, entitled “2020 The 3rd Jiangsu University Agricultural Machinery Training Program in Za mbia & Senior Workshop on Modern Agricultural Machinery and Agricultural Products Processing”.
On August 18th, its Opening Ceremony was ceremoniously held. The main venue is at JSU and the branch venue is at the UNZA.
Vice Minister and Permanent Secretary of Higher Education of Zambia Kayula Siame, Vice Minister of Agriculture of Zambia Songowayo Zyambo, Deputy Director-General of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of Ministry of Education of China Fang Jun, Deputy Director-General of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education of China Wang Chengbin, delivered speeches. On the evening of August 18th, Channel One of Zambia National Broadcasting Company Television reported this training program at 19:00 Headline, fully acknowledging the cooperation between JSU and Zambia. At 08:50 on August 20th, the CCTV news app also reported on this training program, fully affirming JSU’s contribution to China-Africa cooperation.
The training program lasted for about four months. The lessons were given online from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. on weekdays (Zambia time). Students used their computers and mobile phones to attend lessons at home or in their dorms. This training program has recruited 500 young students, from agricultural machinery managerial staff, workers, farmers and students of UNZA, Natural Resources Development College (a university directly under the Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia).
This program offered Mechanical Maintenance and Processing Technology of Agricultural Products. The two comprehensive courses consisting of theoretical, practical and innovative parts were developed and taught by experts and professors from Jiangsu University, agricultural companies and institutes. The outstanding trainees received staggered on-site operations in Jiangsu University (Zambia) Practice Base, an agriculture-oriented talent cultivation platform co-established by JSU and CAMCO. CAMCO’s engineers instructed those trainees on the spot.
Among all the Zambian trainees, 17 were awarded the Excellent Trainee, among which 5 won the first prizes, 6 won the second prizes and 6 won the third prizes.
4. The Fourth Training Program
The opening ceremony of the 4th training program is due to take place in Jiangsu University, University of Zambia and Mulungushi University on June 16th, 2021.
Mr. Zhang Zhongjun, Assistant Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Mr. Dejene Tezera, UNIDO’s Director of Agribusiness Development Department, Mr. Wangzhen, UNIDO’s Chief of Talent planning , acquisition , development Division, of Department of Human Resources Management, Ms. Banda Geoffrey, Minister Counselor of Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Mqabuko Spencer Dube, Minister Counselor and Ms. Precious Kawocha, Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ms. ZAINABU ZUBERI MASSORO of Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania are invited to attend the ceremony.
This training program has been broadened to attract 603 trainees from more countries: we see 243 from Zambia, 199 from Ghana, 74 from Tanzania, 38 from Zimbabwe, 21 from Botswana, 15 from Congo, 13 from Nigeria, 1 from Kenya. Zambian trainees are officials, farmers, young workers and students of Mulungushi University, Copperbelt University and Natural Resources Development College.
This 1-month program offered Mechanical Maintenance and Processing Technology of Agricultural Products. African Experts from Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Dar es Salaam Tanzania join hands in the international program.
