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The President of Lanzhou University (LZU), Professor Zhou Xuhong, has lead a delegation to The University of Western Australia as the two institutions forge ahead on a world-class land, agriculture and environment project funded by the Chinese Government.

Lanzhou University is one of the top 10 universities in China.  Located in the west of China in the capital city of Gansu Province it is leading agriculture and environmental education and research under dry and cold environments.

In 2007 Lanzhou University in partnership with UWA received funding for the 111 project from the Chinese Department of Education (CDE).  The 111 program is to invite 1,000 world-class academics from the world's top 100 universities to establish 100 innovative research bases in China.

The main aim of the project is to train researchers and post-graduate students in the study of environmental characterisation of dry and cold eco-systems, development of improved crop and pasture production technologies and animal husbandry practices, and the long-term strategies to adapt to climate change using western China as a model.

During the recent visit to UWA Professor Zhou Xuhong and the delegates have agreed to work with UWA in a number of areas including:

• Apply for funding for the second phase of 111 project for another five years;
• Research links with UWA Future Farm 2050 at Pingelly. LZU is currently considering setting up a farm in the Gansu province similar to UWA's Future Farm;
• Undergraduate student exchange and articulation programs in selected areas;
• English language training for selected high achieving students from LZU
• Establishment of a joint laboratory in dryland agriculture and eco-system;
• PhD students joint supervision and exchange;
• Short term training of senior executive staff from LZU at UWA; and
• Enhanced scientific excellence through joint publication and focussed workshops.

The UWA Institute of Agriculture and the LZU Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology is currently developing a joint proposal to improve the water use efficiency of rainfed and irrigated farming systems in the arid and semi-arid regions of north-west China.

In 2010, the two research bodies held the 2 ^nd International workshop in Lanzhou on "Ecosystem Assessment and Management in Arid and Semiarid Areas - Improving the Productivity and Sustainability of Fragile Arid and Semiarid Agro-ecosystems in the Face of Climate Change".

The papers presented at the workshop will be published in 2011 in special issues of the journals: Acta Ecologia Sinica (in Chinese with English abstracts), Plant and Soil and Crop and Pasture Science .

Media references

Winthrop Professor Kadambot Siddique (+61 8)  6488 7012  /  (+61 4) 11 155 396
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716