11.10.2023 / The Director of the APACCCEEC welcomed a delegation from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences upon their visit of the Demonstration Zone of Agricultural Cooperation in Plovdiv

A delegation from the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) visited the Demonstration Zone of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries of the APACCCEEC at the Agricultural University of Plovdiv.

The Beijing delegation members were: prof. Kong Tianping, Jia Ruixia, Zhang Chenyang, Chen Siyang, and Han Meng, researchers at the Institute of European Studies . The visit took place in collaboration with the Institute for the State and the Law at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and its Director Prof. Irena Ilieva.

Throughout the visit, the Director of the APACCCEEC Dr. Momchil Stanishev, briefed the visitors from Beijing on the main activities and projects of the APACCCEEC, and showed the Demonstration Zone of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the CEE countries, as well as the Logistics Center and Pavilion for E-Commerce in Agricultural Products in the Trakia Economic Zone (TEZ). The delegation also visited the joint Bulgarian-Chinese project, the Luban Workshop at the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, which is aimed to promote cooperation between universities and businesses in the field of agriculture.

Additionally, the delegation from CASS held meetings at the Agricultural University of Plovdiv with Prof. Svetla Yancheva, Vice Rector of International Relations, Assoc. Prof. Boryana Ivanova, Vice Rector and Assoc. Prof. Dimo Atanasov, Dean of Faculty of Economics. Assoc. Prof. Atanas Vladikov, expert in international relations, from The Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, also joined the meeting.

During the meeting, Prof. Yancheva presented the history of the Agricultural University, the main studied fields and disciplines, as well as the international partners, explaining about the implemented scientific and practical projects.

Dr. Stanishev spoke about the main initiatives and projects of the APACCCEEC, the good cooperation with the academic and business circles in China, paying special attention to the Symposium organized by the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, dedicated to think tanks in the China-CEE format.

The guests thanked for the hospitality and the presentations of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv and the APACCCEEC. The delegation expressed satisfaction with the joint Symposium held in October 2021, noting the important role of the APACCCEEC for the development of CEE-China relations.

Prof. Ilieva noted the good cooperation with the APACCCEEC and the successfully held International Conference on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Initiative for Cooperation between China and the CEE countries.

The hosts from the Agricultural University-Plovdiv presented a short video about the University, while the Director of the APACCCEEC presented the Accelerator Program for start-ups in the field of agriculture between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe