On January 20, 2016, President of Agricultural University - Plovdiv, the former director of the Ministry of Agriculture Dimitar Grekov, Consul General of Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Shanghai Dimitar Abadjiev, Congressman of Bulgaria, Press Spokesman of the Socialist Party Angelov Strahil Chavdarov, Secretary General of the Foundation of Bulgaria-China New Silk Road Ninov Stanimir Petrov, and Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Office of German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Sun Yangyang came to visit Shanghai Jiaotong University. Vice President of Shanghai Jiaotong University Huang Zhen, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange Guo Liang, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biology Zhou Pei, Secretary of the Party Committee Qi Hong, Deputy Dean Che Shengquan et al. attended the meeting. 

In the discussion, Vice President Huang Zhen and Dimitar Grekov jointly unveiled Bulgaria Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University. The main functions of the center include cooperation and exchange of Sino-Bulgarian culture and education; cooperation in science and technology in which rural area and agriculture, ecology and environment play the leading role, technical training and certification of production standard of EU agricultural products.

In the visit, President of Agricultural University - Plovdiv Dimitar Grekov and President Zhang Jie jointly signed the memorandum of understanding in terms of cooperation of both schools. Both parties will make cooperation in three sections including educational exchange such as student exchange project, teacher communication and etc., scientific research cooperation and joint construction of agricultural base. Established in 1945, Agricultural University - Plovdiv consists of four colleges including the College of Agriculture, the College of Agronomics-Horticulture and Viniculture, the College of Agricultural Environmental Protection and the College of Economics. Dozens of majors for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral candidate are set up, mainly including plant production, plant protection, plant biotechnology, horticulture and viniculture, ornamental plant and landscape design, agricultural machinery, irrigation agriculture, agricultural environmental protection, tourism management, sustainable agricultural development and etc.  

Bulgaria is the bridgehead in the strategic cooperation of “One Belt and One Road” between China and 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In promoting cooperation with the countries involved with “One Belt and One Road” in the agricultural field, the School of Agriculture and Biology of our school has always taken Bulgaria as the main cooperation object. After the Bulgaria Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University is set up, the Sino-Bulgarian parties will intensify cooperation in the agricultural field with the center as bridge, and expand cooperation in relevant fields such as health, culture, art and etc. with the center as support.