On the morning of June 30, 2016, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Co-chairman of Bulgaria-China Friendship Association, councilman of the political parties and other organizations of “the BSP -Left of Bulgaria”, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Professor YanakiStoilov paid a visit to Shanghai Jiaotong University. Relevant staff including Honorable Director of the School Affair Committee, Vice Chairman of the Committee of Science, Education, Culture and Health of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Professor Ma Dexiu, Vice President of Shanghai Jiaotong University Huang Zhen, Deputy Director of International Cooperation and Exchange Office Guo Liang, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biology Zhou Pei, Secretary of the Party Committee Qi Hong, Deputy Dean Che Shengquan et al met with Professor YanakiStoilov. 

Director Ma Dexiu expressed welcome and gratitude to Deputy Speaker YanakiStoilov on behalf of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and gave a brief introduction to the existing close and friendly cooperative relations between our school and Bulgaria. Director Ma Dexiu said that in order to respond to the international development strategy of “One Belt and One Road”, Shanghai Jiaotong University set up “Bulgaria Center” in January, 2016, signed the memorandum of understanding with Agricultural University - Plovdiv in Bulgaria, and held the first session of the Cultural Day of Bulgaria. The government officials of Bulgaria, consul general in Shanghai et al. paid visits to our school for many times, with the hope to make “Bulgaria Center” of our school become the bridge for the governments of China and Bulgaria to promote cooperation of “One Belt and One Road”, and become the bridgehead of both countries in the cooperation of culture, science, technology, and education. 

After that, Vice President Huang Zhen gave an introduction to the development history, discipline construction, international cooperation and etc. of our school. Shanghai Jiaotong University devotes itself to the construction of international first-class university. It has signed cooperative agreement with more than 100 overseas institutions, run school with famous universities, and set up summer session projects. Meanwhile, the online course forum CNMOOC has been set up to provide favorable learning conditions for a wide range of overseas students. Vice President Huang Zhen welcomes students and teachers from Bulgaria to get involved in short-term or long-term exchange projects of our school on behalf of our school. 

With long agricultural tradition, Bulgaria was ever renowned as “the Shopping Basket” in Europe. China-Central and Eastern Europe National Agricultural Cooperation Promotion Association was set up in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, Shanghai and the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia will become sister cities. The School of Agriculture and Biology of our school is one of the most excellent agricultural institutions nationwide. Deputy Dean Che Shengquan wishes that cooperation of both parties could make breakthrough in the agricultural and rural field first, expand substantial cooperation in education and scientific research, and promote the development strategy of “One Belt and One Road”. 

Deputy Speaker YanakiStoilov showed approval for relevant contents. He quoted the celebrated dictum from Confucius “Do not attempt to work with people whose way is not your way” from the reverse side, and actively affirmed similar ideas in politics and policy as well as friendly cooperation foundation between Bulgaria and China. Deputy Speaker YanakiStoilov mentioned that a country in which agriculture is developed first will achieve success. The history of Bulgaria is exactly the best illustration. In the 1950s, Bulgaria took agriculture as the primary development content, and achieved great success, while agricultural development was stagnant in Bulgaria due to political reason in the 1990s, and it was not recovered to its original state until recent years. In the next several years, it is desired that it will be the years for agricultural development, and it is expected to have more opportunities for cooperative development in agriculture. Meanwhile, he also wishes that such comprehensive universities like Shanghai Jiaotong University can make cooperation with universities of different fields in Bulgaria.

Finally, Deputy Speaker YanakiStoilov visited the campus, Bulgaria Center and the laboratory of the School of Agriculture and Biology in the company of Deputy Dean Che Shengquan.