CABI, an international organization providing information and scientific expertise to address agricultural and environmental challenges, has further solidified its research and publishing ties with the Agricultural Information Institute (AII) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS). This strengthened collaboration comes after a delegation of officials from AII visited CABI's offices in Wallingford and Egham, UK.
During the visit, a significant milestone was achieved as Dr. Andy Robinson, CABI's Managing Director of Publishing, and Mr. Yuefei Wang, Head of the Cataloguing and Acquisitions Department at AII, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at CABI's corporate office in Wallingford. The MoU establishes a cooperative partnership under the Chinese Digital Preservation Programme (NDPP), supported by the Chinese National Science and Technology Library and placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The NDPP aims to advance research and practices related to digital resource preservation.
The agreement also seeks to foster exchange and cooperation opportunities with international experts and institutions, promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration in the field of agriculture and the environment.
Before the signing of the MoU, the Chinese delegation, led by Mr. Wang, received an overview of CABI's work from Carol McNamara, Chief Commercial Officer, highlighting the organization's mission to improve lives globally by providing vital information and applying scientific expertise to address agricultural and environmental issues.
As part of the visit, the Chinese delegation gained insights into the design and functionality of the CABI Digital Library, a comprehensive platform showcasing all of CABI's publishing content in one place. The CABI Digital Library supports research and learning in agriculture, the environment, and the applied life sciences, offering resources such as books, journals (including CABI Agriculture and Bioscience and CABI Reviews), the Plantwise Knowledge Bank, and the CABI Compendium.
Additionally, the delegation was introduced to the CABI Thesaurus, a powerful search tool for users of CABI's research databases and related products, containing over three million descriptive terms for the applied life sciences.
Following their visit to Wallingford, the Chinese delegation continued their exploration of CABI's work by visiting the laboratories in Egham. There, they met with Dr. Richard Shaw, Senior Regional Director for Europe and The Americas, and Dr. Rob Reeder, supporting the PlantwisePlus Programme. The discussions revolved around CABI's overall mission and its Medium-Term Strategy 2023-2025, which includes objectives to enhance the reach and impact of science in agriculture and the environment.
Among the impressive facilities at Egham is the National Reference Collection, a collaboration between CABI and the UK Agri-Tech Innovation Centre known as Crop Health and Protection (CHAP). This facility houses a collection of plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria, entomopathogens, and food spoilage organisms that are crucial for UK agriculture. The collection plays a pivotal role in identifying crop pathogens, monitoring their spread, and discovering potential new biopesticides.
The collaboration between CABI and the Agricultural Information Institute marks a significant step in advancing research and knowledge sharing, fostering solutions to global challenges in agriculture and the environment. By joining forces, both organizations are well-positioned to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and enhance food security on a global scale.
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