Mention China in any meeting everywhere in the world, right away something comes out of our mind. First and foremost, China is a new industrial giant in the East that matches the might of or could bring United States to its knees in not too far distant future. That it is so is evidenced by her rapid rate of industrialization and economic output comparable to none in the East and West. Be that as it may, China is generous and willing to share her wealth/bounty with the rest of the world, especially with the people in Southeast Asian countries, e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Recently, I was in Nanjing to attend a forum and to meet as well as having a meaningful discussion with my research collaborators in Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU).

Let me say this, if I may. For all you know, right now NAU is one of best in business in the field of agricultural sciences in China. The 2019 International Forum on Innovations in Food, Land, Energy and Water System in Asia held at Jiangsu Conference Center, Nanjing on May 22-25, 2019 was a special initiative to show to the world that China is keeping her promise. I went to China this time around to get to know the prime movers and others attending the very important Nanjing meeting and to take note of what was going on in the meeting. Hopefully, Malaysia would be joining them in future meetings or dialogues. My trip to Nanjing was made possible by a special fund, courtesy of Professor Ziaorong Fan from the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing.

A special photo taken for the album with Professor Fan (middle)

I have been told that NAU is one of best agricultural universities in China. Well, it sure is considering its strategic location in China – Nanjing is one of the former capitals of the imperial China. With the student population of about 40,000, NAU has what it takes to be a university par excellence in future. I have visited the laboratories where Professor Fan was working and I was impressed by the kind of research and development the academics and students there were conducting, trying to solve the problems facing agricultural production in the country. By the way, Professor Fan is a trained and/or renowned molecular biologist in China. I may not understand much of what she has being doing in the sophisticated laboratories of the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences of NAU, but we can rest assured that the results of her research/studies have contributed greatly to nation building for the good of mankind.

At the Main Gate of NAU with Professor Fan and her colleague

 

This trip to Nanjing was my fourth to China. The first one was way back in mid-1990s to attend the 30^th International Geological Congress which was held in downtown Beijing, the current capital city of China. The next two trips were to attend soil conferences in Guangzhou. I was impressed by the rapid growth in Chinese industrial and economic development – to me it is second to none in the East, except Japan. Thanks to the good leadership in the government whose great vision was responsible for starting industrial revolution at the beginning of the new century. It will continue to be so in the future that will make China great, like it once was. I am sure it will.

 

In the afternoon of May 24, 2019, I took a break from the forum to visit the well-known Imperial Examination Museum of China in Nanjing. I was by accompanied by three NAU students – a man and two ladies. We walked through the streets of Nanjing to get to the popular tourist destination in downtown Nanjing. The museum, dedicated to the Imperial Examination System, is big by any standard. It is known that the best few students who passed the examination were rewarded with good job by the emperor to serve the empire. Some of them were even offered a hand in marriage to princesses. For that very reason, many had tried their luck by taking the examination.

A picture taken at the Main Gate of Nanjing with two NAU lady students

 

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Article wrote by Prof. Dr. Shamshuddin Jusop, Editor UPM Alumni Magazine Serdang Sun

 

Tarikh Input: 28/09/2019 | Kemaskini: 28/09/2019 | hafzaini