School of Science Celebrates the Opening Ceremony of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Yuefengdao Ecology Station

11 Dec 2024

The School of Science celebrated the opening ceremony of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Yuefengdao Ecology Station, which was successfully held in Kunshan on December 4. The station is an outdoor research space jointly established by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Yuefengdao Organic Farm. The two parties have enjoyed a longstanding collaborative partnership and released multiple research outputs together such as the “Assessment of Organic Rice Biodiversity” and “Avian Diversity Survey”. The opening ceremony signifies that the blossoming collaboration between the two parties is entering a new phase. As the first field station of the School of Science, Yuefengdo Ecology Station is expected to serve several functions including facilitating scientific research, engaging in environmental monitoring, improving teaching practice and contributing to public education.

The ceremony began at 11:00 AM and was hosted by Dr. Yi Zou, Associate Professor from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science, XJTLU. He warmly welcomed all the attendees and expressed gratitude for their support, highlighting the innovative nature and the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in this exciting project.

Ms. Xiumei Zhu, the General Manager of the Yuefengdao Organic Farm, delivered the opening speech. She provided a detailed review of the 15-year developmental journey of Yuefengdao and shared the four core goals of the initiative: 1) to restore the traditional farming culture; 2) to promote organic agriculture and ecological protection; 3) to provide educational resources to the local community, and 4) to facilitate deep collaboration between academia and practitioners. Ms. Zhu emphasized that while the project had faced numerous challenges during its implementation, the unwavering commitment and hard work of the team ensured that the project stayed on the right track. She extended special thanks to the academic community at XJTLU, local government, and local community for their support, and noted this innovative project is not only a new attempt at agricultural development but also an important step in ecological environmental protection.

Professor John Moraros, Dean of the School of Science, then delivered a speech in which he emphasized the significance of the project for the university community and society at large. He expressed gratitude for the significant contributions provided by the university senior administration and especially the faculty from the School in support of the establishment of the station. He pointed out that the launch of the Yuefengdao Ecology Station embodies XJTLU’s strong commitment to promote agricultural development and ecological sustainability. He added that the School of Science will continue to encourage and support innovative research and teaching activities in this field of growing importance, highlighted the real life applications and many benefits of the initiative and encouraged the active exploration of more cooperative possibilities and exchange opportunities in the future.

Professor Eben Goodale, Acting Head of Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, gave a talk that helped further explain the innovative significance of the Yuefengdao Ecology Station in the fields of ecological agriculture and environmental science. He stressed that the close integration of science and society is key to promoting sustainable development. The station will provide valuable experiences in the practice of agricultural ecology and set an excellent example for future agricultural sustainability.

Finally, Professor John Moraros and Ms. Huihua Zhuang, Deputy General Manager of Kunshan Urban Development Group, officially announced the exciting launch of the “Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Yuefengdao Ecology Station.” The morning session concluded smoothly amidst enthusiastic applause, collegial conversations and the attending guests collectively bearing witness to this important moment.

In the afternoon, attendees took a tour in the Yuefengdao Ecology Station and experienced how the station integrates local natural resources with the principles of sustainable agriculture. This creates a win-win scenario for both environmental protection and agricultural production.

After the tour, scholars engaged in productive discussions with regard to the number of ongoing interesting research projects within the station. They also collectively brainstormed about the format and theme for the annual symposium planned to be held at the station next year including the mutual interest to host a university led, inaugural scientific conference on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025 to help celebrate Earth Day.

The Opening Ceremony of the Yuefengdao Ecology Station provided an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the significant amount of work and efforts made to establish the station and also offered a glimpse into its bright future. As one of the key strategic projects of the School of Science at XJTLU, the Yuefengdao Ecology Station will continue to strive for close cooperation between organic agriculture, sustainable development and local communities – through building upon its foundation of conducting basic research and providing applied teaching. It aims to make significant contributions and become a leader in the development of ecological agriculture for the local region, province, China and beyond.

Content: Rundong Ma, Yu Ding

Review: Professor John Moraros, Professor Eben Goodale, 

Dr Yi Zou, Dr Xueqing He

11 Dec 2024