On July 5th, SAAS held the event "Close Encounter with Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences" for the first time. The event was attended by consuls general, deputy consuls general, consuls, and agricultural officers from the consulates of Uruguay, South Africa, Colombia, New Zealand, Ireland, Vietnam, South Korea, the United States, Mongolia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands in Shanghai. The President of SAAS, Cai Youming, along with Vice President Xu Weilin, and Zhao Zhihui received the guests.

Before the meeting, the consulate delegation visited Zhuangxing Comprehensive Experimental Station, where they heard reports on the new variety development base of edible and ornamental horticultural plants, CIMMYT-China Specialty Maize Research Center, Shanghai Sub-Center for New Plant Variety Tests, and the fruit production bases such as grapes and pears. They also visited the Pilot Mushroom Cultivation Facility and the Flower Innovation Center in Fengpu campus, where relevant institute directors and scientific personnel participated in the reception and presented the research achievements and application scenarios to the delegation.

At the meeting, President Cai delivered a welcome speech to all the guests. He pointed out that the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences has been committed to the development and innovation of agricultural technology, meeting the growing consumption needs of the public, serving the high-level development of agriculture, and improving the high-quality life of citizens since its establishment in 1960. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation in promoting scientific and technological progress and industrial development. SAAS has also been continuously carrying out cooperation and exchange in the agricultural field at a higher level and in a broader field through the "bring in" and "go global" strategy, promoting the international development process of "modern urban green" agriculture in Shanghai. He hopes that SAAS will carry out more in-depth scientific and technological cooperation with agricultural institutions around the world.

Some representatives of the Consulates in Shanghai spoke at the meeting, expressing high recognition of the research achievements of SAAS and sharing their countries' experiences and needs in the field of agricultural. Wilson Chau, Deputy Consul General of the New Zealand Consulate in Shanghai, said that international cooperation plays a key role in the development of global agricultural science and technology. He quoted a traditional Maori proverb from New Zealand: "Your basket, my basket, together they make our basket," emphasizing the importance of unity, cooperation, and resource sharing. Phuti Joyce Tsipa, Consul General of the South African Consulate in Shanghai, said that through this event, she has a deeper understanding of the research strength and cooperation potential of SAAS, and looks forward to further exchange and cooperation in the field of agricultural science and technology in the future.

Directors from the Scientific Research Management Division, Achievement Transformation Division, and all of the ten research institutes attended the meeting.