Sowing expertise to reap food security

According to Li, the most difficult task is undoubtedly cultivating talent, as it ultimately determines the institution's future. "Our goal is to train innovative talent who can thrive in different stages of China's agricultural development," he says.

Intelligent agriculture is said to be an inevitable trend in the modernization of agriculture. It is also a field that Li's university has been exploring to cultivate more talent.

In 2020, Huazhong Agricultural University established the first undergraduate program in intelligent agriculture in China, which involves interdisciplinary knowledge and combines diverse areas such as information technology, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things with traditional agricultural science education.

Li Tianhuan, 23, is among the university's first group of intelligent agriculture majors.

In 2019, then a freshman in the university's college of fisheries, Li Tianhuan by chance stumbled upon a poster in the campus advertising the first round of enrollments for the intelligent agriculture program, which piqued his interest.

He then attended the program's recruitment presentation during which he was particularly drawn to the program's promises of interdisciplinary knowledge, cross-campus collaboration and diverse research directions.

"I'd heard that interdisciplinary education is the future trend. And this program is designed to cultivate talent with a wide range of knowledge backgrounds by leveraging the educational resources of multiple colleges. I was excited to try it out," Li Tianhuan says.

The one-on-one mentorship and early exposure to scientific research, including an opportunity to participate in a research project upon entering his sophomore year, have contributed to his rapid growth as a student. "I believe that a deep understanding and hands-on experience are necessary to truly cultivate one's interest," he says.

Liu Kun contributed to this story.