On June 6, the unveiling ceremony of FAFU’s Agriculture and Forestry Artificial Intelligence (AFAI) Research Institute and the Academic Symposium on “AI for Agriculture and Forestry” were held at FAFU. Mr. Zhao Chunjiang, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture, representatives from the Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology, renowned scholars from the University of Sheffield (UK), Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Tongji University, China Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University, Beihang University, and Nanjing Agricultural University, as well as Lai Hairong, Chair of the University Council, Lan Siren, President of FAFU, Tang Zhenpeng and Zhou Shungui, Vice Presidents of FAFU, along with faculty and student representatives, attended the event. The unveiling ceremony was hosted by FAFU’s President Lan Siren.
Event Highlights
Speech by Lai Hairong
Lai Hairong emphasized that the establishment of the AFAI Research Institute is a strategic move by FAFU to pioneer technological innovation, serve national strategies, and drive regional development. It also represents FAFU’s commitment to nurturing high-caliber innovators for the AI-driven agriculture and forestry sectors while seizing the historic opportunities of AI development to advance its progress towards a “Double First-Class” university.
Lai outlined three key priorities for the Institute. First, it is necessary to build a high-end strategic platform. In alignment with the need of national strategies and local economic development, we should integrate university-wide and external resources to make breakthrough in key AI core technologies in agriculture and forestry, address practical challenges in modern agroforestry development, and build the Institute as an innovation hub for AI applications in agriculture and forestry. Second, it is important to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. We should leverage FAFU’s strengths in agricultural sciences, forestry, computer science, and biology to provide core application scenarios and resources for AI innovation to foster mutual reinforcement, cross-pollination, and co-evolution between traditional disciplines and AI technologies, bolstering top-tier disciplines including plant protection and forestry. Third, an education ecosystem should be developed. Aligning with the “Four New Disciplines” initiatives (New Agriculture, New Engineering, New Liberal Arts, and New Medicine), the Institute should build up an industry-academia-research-application integrated education system for AI research and application in agriculture and forestry, comprehensively enhance digital literacy among faculties and students, expand AI-related curricula and practical training bases, and nurture interdisciplinary innovators with profound understanding of both AI and agriculture and forestry.
Speech by Chen Jianlin, Level II Bureau Rank Official of Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology
Chen Jianlin remarked that the Institute represents FAFU’s proactive response to the strategies for invigorating China through agriculture and “Digital China” Initiative, serving as the key to foster a new development dynamic with the domestic economy as the mainstay and the domestic economy and international engagement providing mutual reinforcement, and boost Fujian’s modern agriculture. He highlighted its potential to propel agricultural sci-tech modernization and secure a leading position in smart agriculture.
Speech by Zhao Chunjiang, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the NERCITA
Zhao Chunjiang underlined that the Institute is a strategic milestone in FAFU’s development. He hoped FAFU will pool AI expertise across Fujian’s universities, adopt an open approach in operations, and establish a provincial-level AI research platform in agriculture and forestry. By focusing on industrial development needs and strengthening international collaboration, FAFU should actively advance top-tier talent recruitment and education, joint research on major projects, development of significant platforms, and production of impactful research outcomes to drive greater innovation in AI applications for the agricultural and forestry sectors.
President Lan Siren stated that the Institute will function as a premier hub for theoretical research, technological innovation, and education in AFAI, contributing to modern agricultural development in Fujian, Southeast China regions, and the country, while accelerating comprehensive rural revitalization efforts.
On the ceremony, Zhao Chunjiang, Chen Jianlin, Chen Hong, Chen Riqing, Lai Hairong, Lan Siren, Tang Zhenpeng, and Zhou Shungui jointly unveiled the plaque of AFAI Research Institute.
Unveiling Ceremony
Following the ceremony, participants visited the exhibition of AI applications to agriculture and forestry including drone-based EEG safety monitoring systems, low-altitude remote sensing imaging systems, fruit-picking robots, and high-speed optical communication IC chips.
Exhibition of AI Applications to Agriculture and Forestry
After the ceremony, the Academic Symposium on “AI for Agriculture and Forestry” was successfully convened. Academician Zhao Chunjiang, Professor Yang Po from University of Sheffield, UK, and Professor Yang Wanneng from Huazhong Agricultural University delivered keynote speeches respectively on Prospects of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture, AI-Driven Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies and Applications, and Crop Phenomics Technology Research and Genetic Breeding Applications. Parallel sessions were conducted simultaneously in the afternoon across both Jinshan and Qishan campuses, covering research frontiers including Intelligent Information Perception, Smart Vision and Agricultural Big Data, Agricultural Intelligent Robotics, and Intelligent Transportation Systems.
Group Photo
The AFAI Research Institute at FAFU operates under the guiding principles of demand-driven management, interdisciplinary integration, and effective implementation. By leveraging elite resources, the Institute aims to make breakthrough in critical AI core technologies for agriculture and forestry, attract and nurture top-tier AI specialists, solve pressing challenges in modern agricultural development, and establish itself as a technology innovation hub, a talent incubator, an industry connector, as well as a policy think tank. The Institute comprises six specialized research centers including AI & Agricultural Chip Technology Center, High-Performance AI IC Chip Center, Intelligent IoT Technology Center, Agricultural and Forestry Sensor Technology Center, Agricultural and Forestry Robotics Center, Intelligent Vision and Big Data Center. Each center, chaired by nationally-recognized experts, operates under a Principal Investigator (PI) management system.
Heads of relevant departments and colleges of FAFU, and leaders of the innovation team from the Institute attended the event.
Correspondant: Publicity Department Zheng Wei
Photogragher: Publicity Department Gao Yan
Translation: Chen Jun, International College
Xie Xinyi, International College