President Xi Jinping has extended congratulations on the 120th founding anniversary of China Agricultural University, calling on it to cultivate more professionals with expertise and passion for agriculture.

In a reply letter to faculty and students of CAU on Wednesday, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, expressed hope that they will stay committed to strengthening agriculture to serve the nation, deepening reform in education and teaching, and enhancing innovation in agricultural science and technology, as well as the application and transformation of research outcomes.

He also called on the university to make new contributions to building up China's strength in agriculture and advancing Chinese modernization.

Recently, faculty members and students of CAU wrote a letter to Xi, in which they expressed determination to accelerate the building of CAU as a world-class university and to make unremitting efforts for the great cause of building a strong nation and realizing national rejuvenation.

The history of CAU, as the oldest agricultural higher education institution in China, can be traced back to October 1905, when the College of Agriculture was founded by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in the Imperial University of Peking.

In 1995, CAU was formed by merging Beijing Agricultural University and Beijing Agricultural Engineering University. It now carries out friendly cooperation with more than 260 universities, research institutes and international organizations in over 50 countries and regions.

Xi has always placed great importance on higher education in agriculture and forestry in the new era, as well as issues relating to agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

In 2019, he replied to a letter from Party secretaries, presidents and experts of over 50 agricultural colleges, stressing their role in boosting agricultural prosperity.

In 2023, he replied to a letter from students participating in a program at CAU that sends students to the front lines of agricultural production. The program, known as "science and technology backyards", aims to study and solve practical problems in the development of agriculture and rural areas and train high-level agricultural talent.

Kang Shaozhong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at CAU, said that receiving Xi's reply was immensely encouraging and motivating.

Kang said that he will further deepen education and teaching reforms, cultivating more new-type talent who understand and love agriculture in the new era.

Ma Ke, a third-year undergraduate student at the College of Animal Science and Technology at CAU, said that for him, understanding agriculture means diligently studying core knowledge and mastering the real skills for revitalizing agriculture through science and technology.

"Loving agriculture means harboring the deepest affection for hundreds of millions of farmers," he said.

Lemi Chala Tamire, from Ethiopia, who is a PhD candidate in development studies at CAU, said the 120th founding anniversary is a milestone, which is a testament to how the university has shaped generations of experts who are changing rural communities and contributing to China's remarkable development.

"I am proud to be part of this great legacy — we make it, we are in the community," he said.

China's model of poverty eradication and rural vitalization offers valuable insights that can be adapted to Ethiopia's context, Tamire said.

"After graduation, I see myself as a proud ambassador of CAU — sharing the university's success stories globally and serving as a bridge between China and Ethiopia," he said.

Tamire added that he will carry forward the knowledge, values and spirit he gained at the university to promote sustainable development and agricultural cooperation between Ethiopia and China.

Contact the writers at zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn