CAAS, UCD and Teagasc sign an agreement to form the China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre
Pictured following the signing of an agreement to form the China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre in Beijing on 14th May are from left to right: Professor Gerry Boyle, Director, Teagasc; Professor Alexander Evans, Dean Agriculture, UCD; Mr Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine, Ireland; Mr Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China; Prof Qin Yuchang, Director General, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Ms Ma Ying, Secretary General and Deputy Director, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Professor Frank O'Mara, Director of Research, Teagasc.
On Tuesday 14 May, UCD, Teagasc and the Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) signed an agreement in Beijing to form the “China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre” (The Centre). The purpose of the Centre is to foster institutional links between the parties, to support research that will generate new knowledge, to engage in education at a number of levels, and to improve technology exchange to promote sustainable dairy farming systems in China and Ireland. This Centre is built on 5 years of collaboration between the parties.
The Centre will focus on three key areas
- Technology Extension
- Research and Exchange
- Training, Education and Talent Development
1. Technology Extension
The technology extension will relate to all aspects of dairy production in Ireland and China from the environmental impact of dairy production, animal production, and feed quality, through to processed dairy products. CAAS, UCD and Teagasc will engage in knowledge transfer and technology extension activities, and work with relevant industry partner companies, with the aim of imparting strategic benefit and sustainability principles, and facilitating trade opportunities to both Chinese and Irish Dairy sectors.
2. Research and Exchange
Applied research based on international cooperation between China and Ireland will be pursued through the Centre. The goal is to maximise the research interactions between CAAS, UCD and Teagasc and to use those interactions to leverage national and international funding, to scale existing research activities and to deliver research excellence with impact.
The Centre will:
- Identify and foster new areas of research between the Parties that could be of benefit to China and Ireland, and globally.
- Use relevant national and international research funding mechanisms to support the development of programmes of research and innovation between the Parties.
- Effectively communicate the value of research and innovation findings to each other and the wider community.
- Encourage visiting experts from both countries to develop links with academics and institutions to further the goals and scope of the Centre.
3. Training, Education and Talent Development
The Centre will draw on the expertise of CAAS, UCD and Teagasc to deliver high-level training to experts in Sustainable Dairy Science and Technology and basic education for farmers and primary operators. The Centre will attach high importance to ensure that training complements efforts of technology extension and transfer.
Following the signing of the agreement the parties were congratulated by the Ministers of Agriculture from both China and Ireland.