Over the past 3 years, the Agricultural Information Institute (AII) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in collaboration and support from GFAR and CIARD have been advocating and building capacities in opening access to data and information of the agricultural research and innovation system in China. From November 12-14, the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences in collaboration with AII, GFAR, FAO and CIARD organized the 5th CIARD CN Workshop and Training Program on Open Access to Knowledge for South and South East of China.
Thirty information professionals and young technical personnel from South East and South of China including Sichuan, Hainan, Shandong, Beijing and Fujian provinces participated in the Workshop and Training program. Presentations and discussions on topics of ICT use in agriculture and open access of agricultural data, information and knowledge were held at the Workshop. Mr. Zeng Yurong, Director of the Institute of Agriculture and Economy made a welcome address and expressed the region’s great interest in Open Access and CIARD activities. Prof.Meng Xianxue, DDG, Agricultural Information Institute, CAAS, delivered a speech on the development of CIARD and CIARD CN. Dr. Ajit Maru presented key note speeches on Strategy and Practice of International Agricultural Research Data and Information Sharing and Developments in ICT use for Farming and Agriculture that offered excellent examples of ICT use and progress in open access in foreign countries on both topics which contribute to the further development of Chinese agricultural information services greatly.
6 participants of the workshop also made presentations on the ICT use and information services. A presentation on information services to the farmers in Beijing Area was made by Associate Prof. Zheng Huaiguo and Tan Cuiping,of Beijing Academy of Agri and Forestry Sciences. Associate Prof.Tang Yang, Director of the Library of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences introduced their experiences on ICT services to innovation in agriculture. Prof.Zhang Xuefu provided an introduction of Ossiach Conference and AgINFRA progress.
The 5th CIARD CN Workshop and Training Program on Open Access to Knowledge for South and South East of China marked the completion of the entire coverage for advocacy and initial capacity development for CIARD CN RING in China. The CIARD and RING activities and services have now also been introduced in the South and South East region and several of the provincial agricultural institutions had their services registered to the RING during the training program. During the Workshop, issues in enabling global access of Chinese agricultural data and information services to the global community, especially through language translation in English and other languages as also improving the metadata content of registered information services from China were discussed in detail and solutions sought for implementation. Translation from Chinese to English of technical descriptions requires expertise that is in short supply in the Chinese system and requires a special drive and international technical support. Similarly a strategy to improve the metadata content using international standards needs to be developed and implemented and this again needs international collaboration with CIARD partners. The AII made a request to GFAR, FAO and CIARD to facilitate and support the International collaboration now needed.