In order to effectively enhance students' innovative spirit and practical ability, on June 11, the School of International Education held a grand opening ceremony of Reading Innovation Experimental Class of Class 2023 in Conference Room D102 of the Office Building. Prof. Keshavan Niranjan, academician of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology and expert in the field of food science and technology of the University of Reading, UK, as well as Prof. Zhang Yurong, vice dean of the School of Grain and Material Reserves, Prof. Li Hua, deputy director of the Department of Food Science and Engineering of the School of Grain, Oil, and Food, and Prof. Wang Xueqin, professor of the Department of Biotechnology of the School of Bioengineering, were invited to attend the class-opening ceremony. Dean Zhang Haojun, Deputy Secretary Zhou Yuan, and Vice Dean Zhao Hongyue of the School of International Education, as well as relevant staff from the Program Office, Teaching Office, and Academic Engineering Office, representatives of the first batch of employed academic tutors of Reading Class, and all the students of Reading Innovation Experimental Class of Class 2023, totaling more than 70 people, attended the ceremony.The ceremony was presided over by Mr. Liu Guoshi, Secretary of School of International Education.
First of all, Prof. Niranjan briefly introduced the University of Reading and the Department of Food and Nutrition of that university, shared the latest research progress of the University of Reading in the field of Food and Nutrition, and put forward his great expectations to the freshmen. He hoped that the new students would actively participate in academic research, constantly expand their knowledge field and lay a solid foundation for their future academic career.
The Reading Innovation Lab Class employs 33 faculty members from various colleges who have rich experience in student guidance and outstanding academic achievements as academic mentors.At the opening ceremony, Prof. Niranjan and Zhang Haojun jointly presented the appointment letters to the representatives of the appointed academic advisors. Mr. Xu Fei, an outstanding alumnus who went abroad under the "2+2" program and returned to our university after graduating from the University of Reading with a PhD degree, and a representative of the appointed academic advisors, shared his own experience and insights in applying for studying abroad and doing academics in foreign countries, and encouraged the new students to find their own interests, pay attention to the study of English, and make efforts to improve their language competence. Song Xinfang, majoring in food science and technology, and Wang Zhiyi, majoring in biotechnology, spoke respectively, sharing their initial intention and expectation of joining Reading Innovation Lab Class and expressing their determination to work hard and grow together.
At last, Zhang Haojun pointed out in his concluding speech that Reading Class is an excellent class and enhancement class for excellent students who have the intention to go to graduate school and plan to study abroad, and it is an important initiative of the college to deepen the reform of undergraduate education and build an internationalized and innovative talent cultivation system, and it is an important step of the college to improve the quality of talent cultivation.At the same time, Reading Innovation Class is another landmark achievement of the cooperation between our university and the University of Reading in undergraduate talent cultivation, which is an important measure for the university to deepen the cooperation with the University of Reading in talent cultivation.He mentioned that since 2003, when our university started to cooperate with the University of Reading in organizing the Food Science and Engineering major and the Biotechnology major, the two universities have a high degree of mutual trust and sincere communication, and jointly cultivated 3,511 high-quality talents with an international outlook.The quality of talent training of the two majors has been highly recognized by the society.The Postgraduate entrance examination rate of the two majors has steadily increased, and the examination rate of Food Science and Engineering has reached more than 40%, and the number of students studying abroad has been perennially maintained at about 10% . In order to adapt to the needs of academic talent cultivation, Reading Innovation Experimental Class builds a bridge between academic tutors and students, without changing the original cultivation program and without increasing the burden of students' coursework, mainly through the second classroom to enhance students' innovation ability and international vision, to create an open, free and challenging learning environment for students, and to explore a new path of cultivating international and innovative talents under the background of China-foreign cooperative schooling. He pointed out that the School attaches great importance to Reading Innovative class. He pointed out that the School attaches great importance to the construction of Reading Class and has listed it as one of the key tasks of the School in 2024. The School is full of confidence and high hopes for the construction of this class.The School will provide all the services, support and guarantees to the best of its ability for the guidance of all academic advisors.At the same time, he wished that all the students of Reading Class could make excellent academic achievements and fruitful innovation results under the careful cultivation of the tutors and their own efforts, and become the pioneers and leaders of the new era.
