The China-CIMMYT International Wheat Symposium takes place in Tai'an, Shandong, on July 8 and 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The China-CIMMYT International Wheat Symposium took place in Tai'an, Shandong, on July 8 and 9. Wheat experts and scholars with both domestic and international backgrounds gathered to discuss and exchange ideas on promoting global wheat research cooperation and fostering academic innovation to global food security.

During the conference, attending leaders and experts visited the National Key Laboratory for Wheat Breeding at Shandong Agricultural University, the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Room, and the "CIMMYT-China Shandong Wheat Maize Research Center" laboratory.

In March 2024, Shandong Agricultural University collaborated with CIMMYT to establish the "CIMMYT-China Shandong Wheat Maize Research Center". The center has already formed three international collaborative research teams focusing on wheat molecular breeding, maize molecular breeding, and smart agriculture.

The center aims to gradually become a top-notch engineering research center with a focus on crop breeding as its advantage and the efficient integration of domestic and foreign research forces. This initiative aims to further enhance the comprehensive production capacity of agriculture and the international competitiveness of the seed industry, providing strong support for the self-reliance and development of the national seed industry, ensuring national food security, and promoting comprehensive rural vitalization.