As the global population grows, so does the challenge of feeding so many people. Intensive agriculture can deplete soil nutrients, consume large amounts of precious fresh water and lead to long-term environmental damage. More intelligent approaches are needed. One solution is better plant science.
This weekend The University of Nottingham in partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University will run a one-day workshop at Shanghai World Expo, Sustainable Agriculture – the role of plant reproduction. This will bring together key academics, industry and government agencies from the UK and China to discuss advances in the area of plant reproduction and how these developments fit into a strategy for global sustainable agriculture.
Dr Zoe Wilson, Associate Professor and Reader in Developmental Plant Biology, will lead the University’s final expert-led event at Shanghai World Expo 2010 this Sunday, 24 October alongside Professor Dabing Zhang from the School of Life Science and Biotechnology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Dr Wilson, speaking from the School of Biosciences, said: “Our event will examine how plant reproduction can promote sustainable agriculture and global food security. It will strike a balance between keynote talks from eminent plant reproduction scientists, discussion of how these ideas can be used for sustainable agriculture and talks from Chinese Ministries regarding potential funding opportunities.”
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Rudd, who is leading The University of Nottingham’s groundbreaking six-month presence at Shanghai Expo, said: “This University’s perspectives are truly global, which is why our continuous presence at the World Expo has been so important. Our Sutton Bonington Campus has pioneered plant biotechnology for decades, and in Malaysia, our Crops for the Future project investigates alternative food crops.
“No university in the UK is better placed than Nottingham to carry out multidisciplinary food security research. During a period of global retrenchment in agricultural and food-related research, Nottingham invested in its facilities to encourage the development of research activities that underpin state-of-the-art agricultural practices, production and processing.”
“We will need to find food to feed a 50 per cent population increase by 2050, according to latest international estimates,” says Dr Wilson. “Sustainable, effective agricultural systems, with increased yield, but less environmental impact are vital if this is to be achieved.
“Plant reproduction is fundamental for the production of most of the food that we eat – either directly or via animal feed. Therefore understanding and providing the means to manipulate plant fertility for selective breeding, maximal fertilization and hybrid production are an essential basis for such strategies.”
The event on Sunday 24th October 2010 runs from 10:30–16:00. More information can be found here:
All events take place in The Auditorium at London ZEDpavilion. The building is an example of urban best practice, designed and built by leading green architects ZEDfactory. It was chosen after winning the international design competition in this category.
Throughout October, the final month of Shanghai Expo 2010, top researchers from the University’s campuses in the UK and Asia – as well as leading colleagues from other institutions – have hosted thought-provoking workshops, lectures and conferences spanning Nottingham’s extensive research in sustainability.
The University of Nottingham’s world changing research based on the theme ‘Zero Carbon, Zero Waste’ is on display at the Shanghai World Exposition 2010 until October 31. Millions of visitors have visited the Expo and many will have an opportunity to explore — through words, pictures and video — The University of Nottingham’s leading research in sustainability as part of a collaborative exhibition with ZEDfactory.
The University is also partnering with the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) helping to attract Chinese investment to the East Midlands through the work of emda’s East Midlands China Business Bureau. Last month, emda announced that the Chinese car manufacturer, Chang’an Automobile Co, will establish its UK Research and Development facility at No 1 Nottingham Science Park, creating up to 200 new jobs.
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For more information contact: Helen Foster, Head of Partnership Development in the International Office at The University of Nottingham, at helen.foster@nottingham.ac.uk; Simon Butt, Corporate Relations Manager, at simon.butt@nottingham.ac.uk; or Jackie Hadland, Communications Officer at The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, on 0086 (0) 574 8818 0940, Jackie.HADLAND@nottingham.edu.cn. helen.foster@nottingham.ac.uk；simon.butt@nottingham.ac.uk；Tel：0086 (0) 574 8818 0940，Email：Jackie.HADLAND@nottingham.edu.cn
For additional information on ZEDfactory please contact PR Director Jacqueline Faulkner at jaxsplash@googlemail.com or visit www.zedfactory.com/expo.html.
For more about emda, contact Nick King, Media & PR Manager at the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), Email： nickking@emd.org.uk, Tel：+44 (0)115 988 8375.
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as “the nearest Britain has to a truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the World’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at：www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
University facts and figures at：www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx
Find out more about The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China at www.nottingham.edu.cn; for more details about The University of Nottingham at Shanghai Expo 2010：
Visit the Shanghai Expo official site for details of how to find us and for more information on Shanghai Expo: http://en.expo2010.cn/
本周末，诺丁汉大学将与上海交通大学合作举办为期一天的工作坊——“可持续农业：植物再生产所扮演的角色”。本次活动将汇集英、中两国的关键学者、业界人士和政府机构。他们将讨论植物再生产领域的进展和怎样使这些进展匹配全球可持续农业战略。
本周日（10月24日），诺丁汉大学著名的植物和作物科学部研究员佐伊•威尔森（Zoe Wilson）博士将牵头诺丁汉大学在2010年上海世博会上主办的最后一场由专家牵头的活动，出席活动的还有上海交通大学生命科学技术学院张大兵教授。
威尔森博士说：“我们的活动将研究植物再生产可以怎样促进可持续农业和全球食品安全，既有主旨演讲，由著名并且受人尊敬植物再生产领域的科学家讨论可以怎样将他们的想法用于可持续农业，也有中国各政府部门的演讲，谈论潜在的融资机遇。”
诺丁汉大学副校长克里斯•路德（Chris Rudd）带领大学亮相为期6个月的上海世博会，取得了重大突破，他说：“诺丁汉大学的视角是真正意义上的全球视角，这也是为什么我们的身影持续出现在世博会上是如此重要。几十年来，我们的萨顿邦宁（Sutton Bonington）校区在植物生物技术方面一直都是开拓者，在马来西亚，我们的“未来作物”项目研究的是可替代的粮食作物。”
“诺丁汉大学在开展多学科食品安全研究方面是全英国大学中最好的。在全球减少农业和食品有关的研究经费时，诺丁汉大学仍然投资于研究设施，以此鼓励发展出支撑最先进的农业做法、生产和加工的研究活动。”
威尔森博士说：“根据国际最新估计，到2050年我们将需要找到足够的食物，来满足比目前水平多50%的人的需要。如果要实现可持续并且有效的农业系统，至关重要的一点就是增加农业系统的产量、减少其对环境的影响。”
“植物再生产是生产出我们所食用的大多数食物的基础，无论是直接的食物，还是通过动物的饲料，都是如此。因此，了解和提供选育、最大限度繁殖和杂交生产中控制植物繁殖能力的方法是制定这些方面的战略的必要基础。”
10月24日（星期日）的活动时间是10:30–16:00。如果需要更多信息，请访问： http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/shanghaiexpo2010/Events/BookingForm/sustainableagriculture.aspx
所有的活动都在伦敦零碳馆礼堂举行，这栋建筑是城市最佳实践区的范例，由英国零能耗工厂（ZEDfactory）领先的绿色设计师设计并建造。零碳馆在同类别建筑的国际设计竞赛中脱颖而出。
上海世博会期间将展出诺丁汉大学以“零碳、零废物”为主题的、能够改变世界的研究成果，展览将持续到10月31日。数以万计的游客去上海世博会参观，许多人将有机会通过文字、图片和视频了解诺丁汉大学领先的可持续性研究，这些研究也是与英国零能耗工厂协作展览的组成部分。
英国诺丁汉大学是英国中东部地区发展署的合作伙伴，通过英国中东部地区发展署中国业务办公室的工作，帮助吸引中国公司前往英国的中东部投资。上个月，英国中东部地区发展署宣布，中国的汽车制造商长春汽车公司将在诺丁汉科学园一号设立研发机构，这将创造最多200个就业机会。
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如果需要更多信息，请与以下人员联系：诺丁汉大学国际办公室的伙伴关系发展负责人海伦•福斯特，电邮：helen.foster@nottingham.ac.uk；企业关系经理西蒙•巴特，电邮：simon.butt@nottingham.ac.uk；诺丁汉大学中国宁波校区对外联络员杰基•海德兰德，电话：0086 (0) 574 8818 0940，电邮：Jackie.HADLAND@nottingham.edu.cn。
如果需要更多有关英国零能耗工厂的信息，请联系公关总监雅克林•福克纳，电邮为jaxsplash@googlemail.com 或登陆网站www.zedfactory.com/expo.html.
如果需要更多有关英国中东部地区发展署的信息，请联系英国中东部地区发展署媒体和公关经理尼克•金，电邮： nickking@emd.org.uk, 电话：+44 (0)115 988 8375.
给编辑的几点说明：《泰晤士报》将诺丁汉大学描述为“英国最接近真正意义上全球性大学的学校”。诺丁汉大学在英国、中国和马来西亚都拥有屡获奖项的校区，在上海交通大学和QS的世界大学排名中名列英国前10位和世界前75位。
诺丁汉大学致力于为学校的3万9000名学生提供真正全球性的教育，产生世界领先的研究成果并且惠及英国和亚洲校区周围的社区。
根据最新的英国研究水平评估（2008年），诺丁汉大学的研究中有90%以上的质量都属于国际水平，全部研究中将近60%被定义为“世界领先”或者“在国际上出类拔萃”。根据《研究双周》对2008年英国研究水平评估的分析，诺丁汉大学在研究能力方面名列英国第七。
诺丁汉大学的愿景是以特色鲜明的贡献（尤其是在全球粮食保障、能源与可持续性以及健康方面）获得全世界的认可。
如果需要更多来自诺丁汉大学的新闻，请登录网站：www.nottingham.ac.uk/news
如果需要更多有关诺丁汉大学的事实和数据，请登录网站：www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/facts/factsandfigures.aspx
如需要更多有关诺丁汉大学中国宁波校区的信息，请登陆网站：www.nottingham.edu.cn; 如需要更多有关2010年上海世博会诺丁汉大学展览的信息，请查看:
如果需要如何找到我们的展馆的信息，以及更多有关上海世博会的信息，请登陆上海世博会官方网站： http://en.expo2010.cn/