6 Foreign Academicians Join ZJU Overseas Academician Workshop

On the afternoon of April 20, Zhejiang University held a grand appointment ceremony to welcome 6 overseas academicians, including Donald Grierson, a fellow of the Royal Society of England, Michael Thomashow and Harry Klee, fellows of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, Ian Ferguson, a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Mondher Bouzayen, a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences. They joined the Joint Overseas Academician Workshop for Fruit Quality Biology.

It is one of ZJU’s pioneering initiatives to set up a pilot joint overseas academician workshop. The participation of these academicians who are armed with expertise skills and superb academic assets in fruit science, genetic engineering and gardening in the workshop will definitely facilitate the development of fruit quality biology at ZJU.

Li Yong, Director of Zhejiang Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, pointed out that there has been a gradual shift from low- and middle-end experts to high-caliber experts, from short-term services to long-term services, and from individual experts to teams and groups in terms of the introduction of foreign experts. Zhejiang University has introduced a galaxy of world-renowned experts, which is highly instrumental to promoting the process of internalization and the construction of a world-class university, thus setting a prime example for institutions of higher learning in Zhejiang Province.

Executive Vice President Song Yonghua stressed that ZJU is making every endeavor to build a world-class comprehensive and innovation-driven university, attract domestic and overseas experts and cultivate students’ global vision.

Donald Grierson expressed his hope that this partnership will further enhance disciplinary power and propel the future via science.