Embracing innovation

The study trip was jointly organized by Cornell University and CAU, two of the world's leading agricultural institutions. The exchange program began online in 2021, with weekly virtual classes linking students from the two universities in real time. Faculty members from both institutions co-taught courses on food system innovation, while mixed student teams worked on practical projects.

Terry Tucker, a professor of agricultural development at Cornell and one of the initiators, said the goal was not necessarily innovation itself, but the process of learning to work transnationally across cultures and systems. Building on that foundation, Cornell launched a course on agrarian change in China last autumn, with the recent field trip forming a key part of the curriculum.

The experience has been enriching for both students and faculty members, said Tucker, who is also a part-time farmer in Pennsylvania. "While we often focus on differences, we share many common interests — especially around sustainability and climate change," he said, adding that the trip deepened his understanding of how agriculture intersects with culture and history.

"What impressed me most is how people here honor tradition while embracing innovation. Even small farmers skillfully use digital tools and apps to connect with markets and improve their practices," he said.

As China and the US are two major players in agriculture, food systems, and climate change, both sides need to figure out how to work collaboratively and sustain joint research, he added.

Liu Juan, an associate professor from CAU's College of Humanities and Development Studies and the main designer and coordinator of the study trip, said she aimed to show China's depth and diversity, especially the contrasts between north and south, cities and villages, tradition and modernity. In Beijing, students visited the Nongguangli market, and later headquarters of the delivery and lifestyle services company Meituan, seeing firsthand how fresh produce moves from rural areas to urban consumers through digital platforms. They also went deep into villages in Hebei and Sichuan, exploring the real and living China, she said.

One of the most unexpected highlights, Liu recalled, was the visit to a neighborhood wet market in the capital. "I thought it would be routine. But the US students were incredibly excited. What they wanted to see most was how Chinese people buy vegetables and live their daily lives," Liu said.

On the subway, students asked Liu to switch her Alipay app to English. "I showed them transportation, utility payments, government services, finance, even charity functions. They were stunned by how integrated everything was," she said.

Bharath Chandran, a master's student from India, said he was impressed by the integration of technology. "Our homestay farmer had been using mobile payments for years," he said. "It shows how digital tools can positively shape rural life."

In Sichuan's Qingshen county, the group visited a township government service center, where dozens of administrative tasks could be handled through online-offline integrated terminals. "That was another moment of real surprise for them," Liu said, adding that it showed how digital governance reaches even the grassroots level.

Hu Rong, a 2025 master's student at CAU majoring in sociology and development, accompanied the travel group as a volunteer. Hu said she was surprised to find that the students from the US were fascinated by ordinary things such as how the Chinese shop, cook, or order food deliveries.

"I saw how much these young Americans appreciated village life. They were willing to dig into it and saw its value," Hu said, adding that it's important to build bridges of communication to foster mutual understanding.

Professor Ye said that unlike cultural experiences in Shanghai or Zhejiang province, places like Sanggang village made a deeper impression on the foreign students. "In one village, you can see national issues. That's the value of going deep," Ye said.

What surprised the visiting students most was China's comprehensive policy framework for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers.

"They were amazed by things like the annual No 1 central document and the scale of infrastructure investment," he said, adding that China's experience offered them a different development path to consider.