Promoting International Cooperation in Gut Microbiota Research in Livestock and High-Quality Human Resource Training in Animal Science

On the morning of April 23, 2026, the Faculty of Animal Science (FAS), Vietnam National University of Agriculture welcomed and held a meeting with a delegation of experts from South China Agricultural University (SCAU). The meeting opened up numerous opportunities for strategic cooperation in scientific research and postgraduate training between two leading agricultural institutions of Vietnam and China.

At the meeting, representatives of the Faculty of Animal Science (VNUA) introduced the Faculty’s history of development as well as its achievements in research and academic management. On behalf of SCAU, Prof. Xie Qingmei, Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science, presented the scale and position of SCAU — an institution with a long-standing history dating back to 1909.

SCAU currently possesses leading national research platforms, including the State Key Laboratory for Pig and Poultry Breeding, along with a close cooperative network with some of the world’s largest livestock corporations such as Wens Foodstuff Group.

The highlight of the meeting was the in-depth presentation on modern research directions related to gut microbiota. Prof. Zhao Jiangchao, who was awarded the prestigious “Changjiang Scholar” title by the Ministry of Education of China, shared pioneering studies on gut microbiota in pigs.

Prof. Zhao introduced methods for identifying, culturing, and experimentally applying probiotic strains capable of significantly promoting growth performance, with pigs gaining up to 10.4 kg additional body weight during the finishing stage.

Notably, Prof. Zhao also pointed out that data on pig gut microbiota in Vietnam remains very limited compared to the country’s important role in global pork production, thereby opening up urgent and promising opportunities for collaborative research between the two institutions.

Based on their shared development orientations, FAS (VNUA) and SCAU agreed to discuss long-term cooperation mechanisms, including: Implementing student exchange programs and joint postgraduate training programs; Collaboratively applying for international cooperation projects, especially those related to functional microorganisms and animal nutrition research; Developing both short-term and long-term training programs in China for key Vietnamese specialists.

The meeting concluded in a friendly atmosphere with an exchange of commemorative gifts between representatives of the two institutions. This event not only reaffirmed the friendship and cooperation between the two universities but also marked an important step toward applying advanced livestock technologies from SCAU to practical production in Vietnam.