On 17 March, 2015, the members of CAAS International Advisory Board (IAB), including Rudy Rabbinge, the Professor Emeritus of Wageningen University and Chair of CAAS IAB, the Minister Monty Patrick Jones, Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Safety, Dr. Marion Guillon, the President of French Academy of Agriculture, Husbandry and Forestry, and Dr. Maurício Lopes, the President of Brazilian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, visited IPP-CAAS, accompanies by Prof. Feng Dongxin, the Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, CAAS. Prof. Zhou Xueping, the Director General of IPP, Profs. Qiu Dewen and Zhang Jie, the Deputy Directors General of IPP, met with the delegates and accompanied them on the visit. Prof. Zhou expressed warm welcome to the delegates. He briefed the overview of the State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests and recent scientific progress and main achievements. Profs. Qiu and Zhang and other scientists introduced the basic information on the international collaboration and exchange, the research platform, etc., and detailed progress in biological control, plant pathology, agricultural entomology, invasive biology, etc. Prof. Rabbinge showed keen interests to the research implemented at IPP and expressed the appreciation and recognition to the obtained achievements. This visit promoted the mutual understanding and expanded the consensus of collaboration.

Prof. Lu Yanhui, the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Prof. Liu Wende, the Department of Biotechnology for Plant Protection, Associate Profs. Liu Wanxue and Guo Jianyang, the Department of Biological Invasions, Prof. Chen Julian, the Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student and Dr. Wang Lixia, the Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student, from IPP, accompanied the guests during the visit.

It was learnt that CAAS International Advisory Board was invited to attend the 4th CAAS IAB Meeting held on 17-18 March. The International Advisory Board was founded in 2007 and regularly holds a Board Meeting every two years. The International Advisory Board has a mission to navigate CAAS’ research priorities and resources allocation and to provide guidance and suggestions to CAAS direction, policy, and strategies.