The 19th AAACU Biennial Convention was held at the Mugunghwa hall of Hoam Faculty House, SNU from October 10th to 13th. This year’s convention was co-hosted by Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities (AAACU) and the Association of Deans of Agricultural Colleges and Universities (ADACU). Deans of major agricultural colleges in Asian region, some of the key personnel of the agricultural sector, and deans of Korean agricultural colleges have all come to the convention to celebrate the opening and share some ideas on the challenges, prospects, and directions of agricultural universities in the 21st century.

   President Yeon-Cheon Oh of Seoul National University gave congratulatory remarks after Dr. Hak Lae Lee, the dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, SNU started the opening ceremony with his welcome remarks. The symposium under the theme of “Shaping the Agricultural Universities for 2020 and Beyond: Challenges, Prospects, Directions” began with the keynote speech by Dr. Don Koo Lee, the minister of Korea Forest Service. Some other issues in the overall agricultural sector have been addressed in the symposium. The sub-themes include ‘curricular reforms and their implications on agriculture,’ ‘agriculture as an enterprise,’ ‘the vision of agricultural research in the 21st century,’ and ‘the vision of agricultural university in the 21st century.’

   During the general assembly meeting, Dr. Sombat Chinawong of Kasetsart University, Thailand, was appointed as the new president of AAACU.