On March 13, 2026, at the invitation of the Smart Agriculture Innovation Team of the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Steffen Fritz, Chief Scientist of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), visited IARRP for academic exchanges and collaborative research.

During the event, Dr. Fritz delivered a keynote speech at the 10th session of the "Farmland Lecture Series" with the title From Global Land Cover Mapping to Novel Data Collection Techniques with Citizen Science and AI. He systematically reviewed the latest progress in global land cover mapping and shared the cutting-edge research and application potential of the integration of remote sensing and artificial intelligence in farmland monitoring and evaluation. After the lecture, Dr. Fritz conducted in-depth interactive discussions with the researchers and postgraduate students of the institute, and Director Wu Wenbin of IARRP awarded him a commemorative medal.

In addition, the two sides held a special seminar on the National Key R&D Program project Research on Collaborative Mechanisms of Stable Farmland Productivity, Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience Regulation. They also had in-depth exchanges on the implementation of the strategic cooperation agreement between the two institutions, the deepening of international collaborative research in the field of agricultural resources and the environment, and the promotion of joint postdoctoral training. This visit has laid a solid foundation for advancing the implementation of the above-mentioned project and expanding long-term bilateral cooperation.