Aug. 21-22, the 2021 China Agricultural and Forestry Economic Management (CAFEM 2021) annual conference was held online. The conference was jointly hosted by the evaluation group of agricultural and forestry economics and management discipline of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Teaching Steering Committee of agricultural economic management specialty in Colleges and Universities of the Ministry of Education, Youth Working Committee of China Agricultural Economics Society and Young Scholars Committee of China Society of agricultural technology and Economics. The college of economics and management, Huazhong Agricultural University was the organizer. Two offline venues were arranged at Renmin University of China and Huazhong Agricultural University. More than 3000 scholars from all over the country and some overseas carried out deep discussion on the Rural Revitalization Strategy and rural development.
Focus on the practical value of agricultural and forestry economic management discipline
Aug. 21st, Professor Zhu Xinkai, Convener of evaluation group of agricultural and forestry economics and management discipline of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Vice president of Renmin University of China performed the opening ceremony. Zhu Xinkai said, the agriculture and forestry economics and management is the discipline, which was directly related to the Rural Revitalization Strategy in the discipline catalogue of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and hence bore the incumbent responsibility to promote the Rural Revitalization Strategy. He stated, China Agricultural and Forestry Economic Management should be a platform to culture young people, tell the China story and exhibit China. He called for more young people to join in the great cause of the development of agricultural and forestry economic management.
Li Zhaohu, President of Huazhong Agricultural University, expressed warmly welcome and thank to the experts and scholars attending the meeting. He said that China's modernization was inseparable from the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. COVID-19 and climate change brought unprecedented and unforeseen new challenges to agricultural and rural development. In the new stage of development, how to promote the high-quality development of agriculture and rural areas and realize rural revitalization was a major issue. He believed the online conference would certainly provide the most cutting-edge theoretical support for the development of agriculture, rural and farmers.
Professor Zhu Jin, Dean of School of economics and management, Nanjing Agricultural University, pointed out that the discipline connotation of agricultural and forestry economic management should be continuously enriched and developed, and the research object, content and scope should be continuously expanded. She stated that study Chinese agricultural development should have international vision and global strategy height.
Tang Zhong, Professor of school of agricultural economic and rural development, Renmin University of China, Chairman of management Teaching Steering Committee of colleges and universities of the Ministry of Education, introduced the collection and review of papers of the conference. He hopes the academic circles carried out deep research on agricultural and rural modernization, rural vitalization, food safety and land issue. He put out that the research should pay attention to methodology, including the acquisition mode, reliability and scientific entity of survey data.
The conference received 542 papers in total, and 235 papers were selected as oral report. The registered official representatives were 251. The moderator and commentator of special session of paper report were 103, covering the theme of grassland economy, agricultural support policy, food safety and agricultural technology progress. The annual conference specially designed the report session for outstanding thesis winners and young students, in order to lead and drive more young students to strive for the top.
Accelerate the construction of agricultural and forestry economic management disciplines
The conference was closed at on the afternoon of Aug. 22nd, and Tang Zhong hosted the closing ceremony. Professor Mao Xuefeng, Secretary General of Academic Committee, Vice president school of agricultural economic and rural development, Renmin University of China, announced the work of Academic Committee of 2021 CAFEM, introduced the selection of thesis and excellent papers, red out the list of winners of excellent young author award.
Professor Qing Ping, Vice president of Huazhong Agricultural University, said that the discipline construction of agriculture and forestry economics and management was facing a series of new opportunities and challenges, such as new college entrance examination and enrollment, continuous popularization of higher education, agricultural college students not stay in rural area and their work no business with agriculture. He stated that in the future, four aspects should be paid great attention. Firstly, the disciplines and majors should move closer to mainstream; Secondly, enhance the theories and methods of economics and management; Thirdly, develop new research method and open up new research field, construct “new agricultural discipline” and “new liberal arts”. Fourthly, strengthen the teachers troop training, foster a group of "famous teachers".
In the summary period, Zhu Xinkai said that the conference of CAFEM was firstly held online, which accumulated valuable experience for discipline exchange and development in the future. He pointed out that, since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" made proud achievements. The great historical mission of eliminating absolute poverty had achieved. Looking to the future, the interdisciplinary integration must be firmly insisted, especially for agricultural science, biotechnology, food and nutrition science, environmental science and big data and artificial intelligence.
The theoretical system, discipline system and discourse system suitable for Chinese characteristic and agricultural situation should be built. Theoretical research should transform from "follow", "parallel" to "lead". During the conference, the delegates highly praised the combination of online and offline. Both the quantity of papers and the number of the participation set fresh highs.
Translated by Lena.