
Faculty and students at Wageningen University. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]
Associate Professor Wang Yanping and counselor Guo Yijia from the College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences at Huazhong Agricultural University led eight students to participate in the summer school at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands from July 7 to 25, engaging in programs on biotechnology, agriculture and food, ecology and food systems.
The summer school focused on innovation in agriculture and food for a sustainable future, covering topics like sustainable farming systems, cutting-edge technologies, and global challenges.
WUR professors Liesje Mommer and Zhen Liu introduced the Netherlands' efficient, sustainable agricultural model through both lectures and fieldwork. Students visited ecological farms, greenhouse horticulture bases, and circular economy demonstration zones to learn about organic cultivation, waste-to-resource solutions, and low-carbon food supply chains.
Group projects explored soil health, LED lighting for sustainable cultivation, and 3D food printing. Participants conducted soil microplastic detection experiments, studied precision irrigation in smart greenhouses at Unifarm, and tested 3D printing for future food production. Later, teams developed proposals on frontier topics such as microalgae farming and crop cultivation on Mars.
During the visit, Wang held in-depth discussions on bulbous flower research and breeding with WUR professors Richard G.H. Immink and Paul Arens and toured HOBAHO's tulip breeding base and post-harvest processing center.
The program drew participants from 12 universities worldwide, fostering cross-cultural friendships, enhancing academic collaboration, and laying the groundwork for future joint research and talent cultivation.