President of the African Academy of Sciences Visits the Institute

On January 7, Dr. Lise Korsten, President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), visited the Institute for an in-depth tour and discussion. Dr. Korsten was warmly received by Vice Director, Prof. Mingzhe Yao.

During her visit, Dr. Korsten toured several key facilities, including the Institute's demonstration tea plantation, training center, the Prof. Chen Zongmao’s Laboratory, Quality Inspection Center, National Tea Germplasm Repository, the Institute's showroom, and Longguan Company. This visit lays a promising foundation for expanding research and development cooperation between China and Africa in the tea sector.

During the discussion, both parties engaged in a constructive exchange on potential collaboration in areas such as climate change, tea science and technology for poverty alleviation, and green pest management. Dr. Korsten highly commended the Institute's efforts in tea science-driven poverty alleviation and tea culture promotion, acknowledging the success of ongoing cooperation between the Institute and African partners.

Dr. Korsten emphasized that the strong foundation of collaboration between the Institute and tea-producing countries such as Kenya and Tanzania aligns well with the African Academy of Sciences' current strategic priorities. She expressed her hope that both sides would further enhance their collaboration, particularly in creating platforms for the application of Chinese technology and expertise across Africa.