The 1st WAITRO Fellowship Awardees Visited JITRI

In March 2024, the WAITRO Fellowship Program was launched by the Secretariat of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO). This program offers subsidies for international travel to researchers and managerial personnel from WAITRO member organizations, further consolidating WAITRO’s commitment to fostering global collaboration, knowledge exchange, and partnerships, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The WAITRO Fellowship is co-created and funded with a generous contribution from the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), host of the WAITRO Secretariat. Through this fellowship scheme, WAITRO plans to sponsor up to 20 fellows annually, providing a unique opportunity for eligible participants to embark on an exchange period ranging from three to six months. This initiative reflects our dedication to creating a vibrant international research community.

On October 8^th – 15^th, 2024, the first batch of seven WAITRO Fellowship Awardees from the Catholic University of Chile (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) visited China. This delegation was led by María Angélica Fellenberg, dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Systems. They visited the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) and engaged in in-depth exchanges with leading Chinese sustainable agriculture and forestry research institutions, including the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Industrial Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, as well as notable institutions such as Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing Forestry University, Yangzhou University, and Jiangsu Huitian Technology Development Co., Ltd. This visit aimed to deepen mutual understanding of the progress and achievements of technological innovations and to seek Collaborations in sustainable agriculture and forestry between the two countries.

The delegation first met with the Jiangsu Academy of Industrial Technology, where Dean Fellenberg introduced the Catholic University of Chile and expressed gratitude for the valuable exchange opportunity provided by the WAITRO Fellowship. Chen Ning, Vice President of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute and a committee member of the National Technology Innovation Centre (NICE), introduced the Academy’s structure and its support for developing the WAITRO Secretariat and expressed hopes for further collaboration on the Co-op project. Following this, the delegation held discussions with multiple academic key opinion leaders from relevant subjects and expressed interest in future cooperation in cherry and blueberry production, new variety cultivation, organic fertilizer production technology, forestry management, and fresh fruit packaging and preservation technologies, while also exploring broader collaboration in fruit tree horticulture, soil science, and biodiversity conservation. The delegation also visited experimental bases and research facilities affiliated with Chinese research institutions and commercial entities to learn about agricultural practices and product processing technologies.