SARE's Professor Ben White, Professor Michael Burton and Assistant Professor Chunbo Ma recently visited the College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, China. Wuhan is the biggest city in Central China and the University was ranked 11th in the nation by the MOE National Institute for Education Research. The College itself is comprised of 6 departments with over 100 full-time staff. The aim of the visit was to develop research collaboration, explore potential joint undergraduate programs, and to establish joint postgraduate supervision between the two Universities.

The visit was hosted by the Dean of the College, Zhang Anlu, Deputy Dean Professor Zhang Chi and coordinated by Professor Yinying Cai. The UWA visitors were treated to a tour of the region which took in areas of environmental significance including the Nanchuan Reservoir, the Nanchuan Dam, the Gan River,  the Qian Moutain, and the Taiyi Cave that extends over five kilometres long.

Professor White presented seminars to college staff and postgraduate students on agric-environmental policy, farm risk measurement and farm input demand. Professor Burton presented a series of three seminars on non-market valuation using choice modelling, covering case studies relating to consumer preferences for GM food and low carbon lamb production, and Assistant Professor Ma presented a seminar on preferences relating to green electricity generation.

The Huazhong postgraduates presented seminars to college staff, postgraduate students and the visitors on the development of agricultural land, preferences for agric-environmental schemes, and farmer preferences for canola varieties and consumer preferences for GM free rice.

The visit was a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge, learn about each other's cultures, and to discuss potential projects. Later this year Professor Yinying Cai will be a visiting scholar to UWA, working within SARE on research projects in the area of land economics. 

The UWA representatives thank the Huazhong College for their wonderful hospitality and look forward to continuing a productive relationship. 

Media references

Professor Ben White (School of Agricultural and Resource Economics) (+61 8) 6488 3409