On December 18, 2019, the first A5 Student Challenge Program and Winter Camp officially were held in Sanya, Hainan Province. Tao Hongjian (Deputy Director-General, Education Department of Hainan Province), Zhang Chao (Director, International Office, Education Department, Hainan Province), Feng Weizhe (Director, International Office, China Agricultural University), Bi Leilei (Deputy Director, International Office, China Agricultural University), Tong Liyan (Deputy Secretary, Party Committee of Administration, SanyaYazhou Bay Science and Technology Park), and Paul Geurts (Member of A5 Committee), attended the launching ceremony.
Tao Hongjian made a speech at the launching ceremony and said that A5 Student Challenge Program is an important initiative for the Education Department of Hainan Province which implements the Strategic Cooperation Frame Agreement between Hainan Province and the universities. It is a beneficial platform for academic communications among China, United States, Netherlands, and Pakistan. It is a great significance to strengthen the academic exchange and communication among international college students, to promote cultural understanding and tolerance, to cultivate future world leaders of agricultural development, to deepen the comprehensive reform of Hainan education, and to set a new direction for the 21st century Maritime Silk Road Education. He mentioned that Hainan Province is making great efforts to build an International Education Innovation Island, introducing higher education from abroad to cluster locally, expanding to the province, affecting the whole country and facing to the world. The Education Department of Hainan Province will, as always, provide supporting policy and favorable guarantee for international college students' exchange and cooperation.
Feng Weizhe pointed out that A5 Student Challenge Program is a way to carry out the "student-centered" development concept of modern universities, enhance the scientific and technological innovation of world's top agricultural university students, vigorously promote Hainan International Education Innovation Island in the international higher education community, especially for the A5 member universities, and provide new ideas and support Hainan future development. As one of the top agricultural universities in the world, China Agricultural University actively executes the national policy of building Hainan International Education Innovation Island by signing up the strategic cooperation agreements with Hainan Province and Sanya City. Many cooperation projects with A5 member universities have been landed in Hainan. Feng Weizhe also said that in the future, China Agricultural University will continue to lead A5 in the initiative to build Hainan International Education Innovation Island, to bring advanced concept, knowledge and innovation to Hainan International Education and promote globalization of Chinese education.
Bi Leilei, deputy director, the International Office, China Agricultural University, Li Xianfeng, Professor, Wang Yijia, lecturer, Horticulture College, and Rebecca, Professor, Cornell University had a detailed analysis and explanation on the design concept, idea, planning and learning of Hainan International Innovation Island and this competition and answered the questions from the audience.
With launching ceremony of the first A5 Student Challenge Program, the three days winter camp also officially began. All the faculties and students participated in the group research. The research is divided into four parts. Firstly, they did a field survey to investigate the site of Yazhou Bay Science and Education Park. Secondly, they investigated the history, culture, architecture and social life of Sanya. The third part, they investigated the Nanfan Scientific and Research Breeding Base. The last part, they investigated Hainan International Free Trade Zone and to got an understanding of the economic development of Sanya. After several days of doing field surveys and study, the students had a heated group discussion about local situation in Hainan, and carried out in-depth theme research and discussion under the help from teachers. Each group ended up by submitting a preliminary planning and design and made a presentation.
In the evening of December 20, the wrap-up meeting of the first A5 Students Challenge Program and Winter Camp was held in Yazhou Bay Science and Education Park, Sanya, Hainan Province. All the teachers and the students watched the documentary film of challenge program, went over their experiences in these days. The representatives of students and teachers were invited to give a speech. Finally, Feng Weizhe (member of A5 Committee) and Professor Paul geurts, Wageningen University made concluding remarks. They expressed congratulations on the success of the first A5 Students Challenge Program and Winter Camp together, and expected to keep promoting the future communication and exchange among A5 universities. They wish they could enable bring momentem to the scientific and technological innovation of the world's top agricultural university students.
Zheng Peng, Deputy Secretary, Youth League Committee of Hainan University, and Zheng Xiaolin, Tan Lu, Zhao Tianyang and Su Hetong, the International Office, China Agricultural University attended the event.