On November 7, China-Africa Agricultural Innovation Cooperation Forum jointly organized by China Academy of Agricultural Sciences and African Academy of Sciences and organized by OCRI was held in Wuhan. Yang Zhenhai, Party Group Secretary of China Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Lise Korsten, President of African Academy of Sciences, attended and delivered speeches.

 The Forum on China-Africa Agricultural Innovation Cooperation is one of the sub-forums of the Forum on China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development. More than 200 representatives from Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, FAO, the African Union Commission, the African Agricultural Research Forum and other countries and international organizations, as well as more than 20 members of the Council of the "Agriculture Going Out Alliance" attended the meeting.

 Yang Zhenhai and Liz Kosten jointly attended the Round Table Meeting of China-Africa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Alliance and signed a memorandum of understanding on behalf of both parties, and unveiled relevant joint laboratories.  Academician of China Academy of Engineering, Wang Hanzhong Researcher of OCRI, Sayeh Kassaw Agegnehu, President of Marcos University of Ethiopia and other experts made reports on cutting-edge technologies in key fields of agricultural science and technology innovation in China and Africa.  During the meeting, the participants visited the OCRI and praised the scientific research achievements and facilities of the OCRI. The foreign guests expressed their hope to strengthen cooperation with OCRI in sesame, peanut and other oil fields and promote scientific and technological achievements to benefit the African people.

 In recent years, OCRI has attached importance to cooperation with Africa. Since signing a memorandum of cooperation with the National Agricultural Research Center of Senegal in 2015, it has signed 17 cooperation agreements with Africa, covering agricultural research institutions in Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, Togo, Benin, Botswana and other countries. It has jointly built a "Joint Laboratory for Sesame Genetic Improvement and High-value Utilization" with Benin Arab University. The "China-Ethiopia Sesame Research Joint Laboratory" was jointly established with the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Ethiopia, and a group of African students and visiting scholars were trained.