On December 3, 2023, the 21st Yangtze River Delta Graduate Forum on Agriculture, co-hosted by the School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University, the School of Economics and Management of Nanjing Agricultural University, and the Antai College of Economics and Management of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was successfully convened at the Xuhui campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Organized by Antai College, the Shanghai Municipal Government Development Research Center Gu Haiying Office, and the China Urban Development and Management Research Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and sponsored by Cargill Investments (China) Ltd., the forum saw over a hundred teachers and students from 19 universities nationwide participate. In addition to the three hosting institutions, representatives from 16 other universities, including Anhui Agricultural University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, and Jiangxi Agricultural University; China Agricultural University, Shenyang Agricultural University, Huazhong Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University, Southwest University; Zhejiang A&F University, Yangzhou University, Nanjing Forestry University; Tongji University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai Ocean University; Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, and others, attended the event.

The Yangtze River Delta Graduate Forum on Agriculture is a student-led platform, now in its 21st year. After being held online for the past two editions due to the pandemic, this year's forum marked the first in-person academic exchange in three years, sparking great enthusiasm among participants. Coinciding with 2023, the year of fully implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and a crucial year for consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and effectively linking with rural revitalization, the forum focused on "Fully Promoting Rural Revitalization and Achieving Common Prosperity." It centered on the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and exploring paths and practices for rural revitalization, contributing ideas for narrowing urban-rural disparities and promoting shared prosperity.

The forum commenced at 8:30 AM, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Distinguished Professor and Vice Dean of Antai College of Economics and Management, Professor Shi Qinghua, hosting the opening ceremony and reviewing the forum's two-decade journey. Professor Zhu Xi, Vice Dean of Antai College, delivered the welcome address, extending a warm welcome to teachers and students from across the country, briefly introducing the college's history, achievements in graduate education, and encouraging participants to "aspire to be top-notch scholars for leading careers, and become first-class talents, with first-rate character being the foremost."

Following the opening, three keynote reports were organized, delving into food security, digital agriculture, and rural revitalization. Professor Xu Zhigang from Nanjing Agricultural University shared "Some Deep Insights on Food Security and Seed Industry Reform"; Professor Bai Junfei from China Agricultural University discussed "Opportunities and Challenges in the Transition from Eco-friendly Pesticide Labels to Smart Agriculture"; and Professor Cheng Mingwang from Tongji University presented "Human Development Trajectories and the Logic of Rural Revitalization." The insightful reports by the three professors sparked lively discussions and inspiration among attendees.

The forum featured six parallel sessions on "Labor Mobility and Employment," "Digital Economy," "Agricultural Production and Food Security," "Green and Low-Carbon," "Aging, Education, and Health," and "Common Prosperity and Regional Development." A total of 39 master's and doctoral students presented their research findings and engaged in in-depth discussions with expert reviewers, teachers, and fellow students. Five doctoral students from Antai College participated, with Zhang Pengfeng discussing the impact of agricultural insurance on farmers' non-agricultural employment; Jin Yangyang focusing on the intrinsic link between food security and economic development in major grain-producing areas; Shao Hengyang examining the impact of market integration on carbon emissions in cities; Yang Liu exploring the influence of gender differences in online classes on students' academic performance; and Pan Sitong sharing the causal relationship between rural e-commerce development and rural industrial revitalization. The students' presentations received detailed, meticulous, and high-level feedback from the teachers, garnering valuable insights and suggestions. Professors Shi Qinghua, Guo Shiqi, and Assistant Researcher Gao Jingjing from Antai College participated in organizing and reviewing the parallel sessions.

The forum concluded amidst enthusiastic discussions among teachers and students. Professor Yu Leng, Deputy Secretary and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Committee of Antai College, delivered the closing remarks. Representatives from the forum's sponsor, including Ms. Lei Shuangyan, HR Director of Cargill Animal Nutrition Asia-Pacific Region; Mr. Li Yi, Strategic Marketing and Technology Director of Cargill Animal Nutrition North Pacific Region; and Ms. Xu Linglei, Marketing Communications Director of Cargill Animal Nutrition China, attended the closing ceremony and introduced their company.