7/30/98

Contacts:
David Acker, International Agriculture Programs, (515) 294-8454
Susan Thompson, Agriculture Information, (515) 294-0705

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH CHINESE INSTITUTE

AMES -- Faculty in the Iowa State University College of Agriculture will have the chance to conduct research in China under a new agreement signed July 30 in Ames. The agreement also will bring visiting scientists to ISU from China.

A year ago, ISU President Martin Jischke was in China to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). That was the beginning for a variety of cooperative activities between ISU and CAAS.

For instance, Erda Wang with the Institute of Natural Resource and Regional Planning (INRRP) at CAAS has been a visiting scientist in the ISU economics department since last fall. Wang is director of the resource and environment department at INRRP, and helped negotiate this new agreement with the ISU College of Agriculture.

This agreement is designed to give INRRP scientists an opportunity to focus on research issues related to natural resources, environment, sustainable agriculture and rural development, to enhance their research skills and to pursue long-term cooperative research projects of interest to both INRRP and ISU.

As for ISU faculty members, the agreement will give them a chance to get involved in current research issues in China and to establish an academic relationship with INRRP researchers.

Research proposals are being solicited from both INRRP and ISU representatives, with the first visits after Jan. 1, 1999. The five-year agreement will allow one representative of each institution to visit the other each year through Dec. 31, 2003.

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