Joint Education Program Expands Graduate Student and Faculty Exchanges
October 19, 2016
Nanjing Agricultural University delegation joins UC Davis hosts at the One Health for Food Safety and Animal Health symposium on Davis campus.
The semi-annual symposium for the joint Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) – UC Davis One Health Center for Food Safety and Animal Health was held on the UC Davis campus, October 10-11. The 2-day symposium, hosted by the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, (WIFSS), was in the format of a workshop touching on several topics, including curriculum development, faculty and graduate student exchanges, and graduate student research projects. NAU visiting faculty will come to UC Davis for short term clinical training. UC Davis and NAU are planning for an International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety.
NAU was led by Vice-President Jianjun Dai, and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dean, Jiyong Zhou. Joining Dai and Zhou were professors Zhihong Xin, Huochun Yao, Jiarong Xu, Yong Sam Jung, Yingjuan Qian, and Gaowen Yang.
The visiting delegation interacted with professors throughout the UC Davis community through one-on-one conversations, team workgroups, and tours of teaching and laboratory facilities. Faculty and staff from the School of Veterinary Medicine including John Angelos, Linda Aston, Xinbin Chen, Kristin Clothier, Michael Kent, Beatriz Martinez Lopez, Stephen McSorley, Maurice Pitesky, Bob Poppenga, and Robert Rebhun provided insight into the potential training and research opportunities with UC Davis. Also contributing to the successful symposium were College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences professors Peng Ji, Yanhong Liu, and Jorge Rodrigues, with Renee Tsolis from the School of Medicine.
The culmination of two days of stimulating dialogue and eye-opening tours led to the development of action items for curricular development and graduate research programs. NAU and UC Davis faculty will continue to nurture collaborative research and educational programs.
Dean, Michael Lairmore, greets NAU Dean Jiyong Zhou, Vice President Jianjun Dai, and Professor Yingjuan Qian, with WIFSS’ Dr. Bennie Osburn
Michael Lairmore, Dean of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, met with the NAU leadership, and Bennie Osburn, Director for Outreach and Training at WIFSS, to discuss the future directions of the Center in Nanjing. Osburn, and Vice President Dai, Dean Zhou and Professor Qian, provided an update on the developing partnership and goals for this next year during their meeting with UC Davis Acting Provost, Ken Burtis, and Associate Vice Provost for Global Affairs Fadi Fathallah.
John Angelos, Amanda Arens, Heather Johnson, and Bennie Osburn, from the School of Veterinary Medicine-WIFFS, met with Vice President Dai, Dean Zhou and Professor Qian, to discuss curricular development for courses that can serve as part of the developing One Health for Food Safety program.
John Angelos, Chris Brunner, Jenny Chen, Xinbin Chen, and Bennie Osburn, served as coordinators for the symposium.
The joint program between UC Davis and NAU has facilitated the acceptance of one veterinary student and three graduate students to the UC Davis campus. WIFSS has sponsored conferences for One Health for Food Safety for 70 undergraduate and graduate students from NAU. The NAU undergraduate students have establish an active One Health Club at NAU which maintains contact with WIFSS and the Student for One Health Club at the School of Veterinary Medicine.