A China-Africa collaborative agricultural project hosted by China Agricultural University has been successfully carried out recently in Wuwei City, northwest China's Gansu Province.

The one-week project named China-Africa Oasis along Gansu's Shiyang River Basin is the university's first project involving a joint team of Chinese and African students, who conducted practical research activities focused on agricultural technology and rural development.

Ten Chinese students and 11 African students from 10 countries participated.

During the field research, African students carried out in-depth investigations into water-saving technology, agricultural irrigation, and farming methods with teachers and students at the Shiyang River Experimental Station of China Agricultural University. They also looked at water conservation project construction and sand control measures in Wuwei City, as well as the experience of local farmers in planting, breeding and whole industry chain supply.

Through two visits to farmers' homes, the students learned about their agricultural production and the great changes in family and personal life brought by the development in China's agriculture and rural areas.

The African students said they hoped to apply some of their experience from the Shiyang River Basin's agricultural and rural development to the reform and innovation of their own country's agricultural development.

Zulu, a student from Zambia, believes that six major technologies used in the basin can be applied to his country's agricultural development, namely smart irrigation systems, water-saving technologies, desertification control, crop breeding and genetic modification, climate data analysis, and e-commerce and agricultural marketing.

Agriculture is among the major areas for China-Africa cooperation, with China having actively supported the agricultural development of African countries to help them improve food security over the past decades.

The China-Africa Oasis project is a working initiative to involve more international students in China-Africa collaboration. It is also an innovative education model that brings China's education experience to the world.