https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0626/c90000-20332959.html

A “Sofia Initiative on Promoting Agricultural Science and Technology Education through AI” was inaugurated at the 2025 annual meeting of the China-CEEC Modern Agricultural Science and Education Innovation Alliance in Bulgaria. It will promote AI-driven agricultural paradigms and academic disciplines, building AI and education practice platforms, supporting the AI-era competence of educators and students, enabling agricultural data sharing via AI, and strengthening international cooperation in AI and education.

A China-CEEC Digital Agriculture Innovation Platform was also inaugurated, with the aim of integrating agricultural technology, industrial applications, and educational resources from China and CEEC, achieving complementary advantages, and driving the digitization of agricultural production, operation, and management.

Lozana Vasileva, deputy minister of agriculture and food of Bulgaria, said the current global trends in agriculture and food called for sustainable development, smart agriculture, the introduction of modern technologies, continuous innovation, and the digitalization of agriculture. Speaking about adopting the Sofia Initiative, she said that AI was really reshaping agricultural production, research and education.

Nabil Gangl, deputy regional representative for Europe and Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said in turn that FAO acknowledged the essential role of science, technology, and innovation in accelerating the transformation of agri-food systems and firmly believes they are crucial in the decisive battle against hunger and malnutrition.

Leng Changjian, secretary-general of the alliance and president of Shandong Agricultural University, said the establishment and development of the alliance were active responses to the Belt and Road Initiative and a true portrayal of all member units contributing wisdom and strength to the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism.