News & Events

2025 China-Bulgaria Climate Change and Rural Revitalization Forum (Sofia) & The "Belt and Road" Symposium Held in Bulgaria

On June 5, 2024, the 2025 China-Bulgaria Climate Change and Rural Revitalization Forum (Sofia) & The "Belt and Road" Joint Laboratory Annual Symposium were held in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the forum, the academic monograph Adapting to the Future: Climate Risks and Resilience in Rural Bulgaria, produced by the Sino-Bulgarian Joint Lab on Climate Change Adaptative Governance for Rural Ecosystem (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Laboratory), was officially released.

The event was co-hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), the Institute of Agricultural Economics at the Bulgarian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), and the Agricultural University Plovdiv. Attendees included:

Wang Min, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Bulgaria

Yang Zhenbin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Prof. Violeta Bozhanova, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Agricultural Sciences 

Mr. Momchil Stanishev, Director of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries

Prof. Bozhidar Ivanov, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics 

Prof. Svetla Yancheva, Secretary General for International Cooperation and Exchange, Agricultural University of Plovdiv (Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria)

Prof. Yin Haitao, Director of the International Affairs Division, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Over 40 experts and scholars from SJTU's School of Design and School of International and Public Affairs, as well as four Bulgarian universities and research institutions, participated. The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Bozhidar Ivanov.

On behalf of Mr. Georgi Tahov, Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria, Mr. Momchil Stanishev delivered an opening speech. He warmly welcomed the delegation led by Secretary Yang Zhenbin to Bulgaria and affirmed the significant results achieved through joint research between SJTU and Bulgarian institutions. He reviewed the collaborative history between both parties in climate change, sustainable development, and rural revitalization. And he highly commending the achievements in joint research and education.

Chargé d'Affaires Wang Min expressed gratitude to the organizers and participants. He highly praised the accomplishments made by the Sino-Bulgarian joint research team in climate change and sustainable development research and governance over the past decade. He expressed hope that SJTU and Bulgarian research institutions would continue their extensive and in-depth cooperation in agriculture and rural development to achieve further results.

Secretary Yang Zhenbin thanked the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian government, partner institutions, and all individuals supporting Sino-Bulgarian scientific cooperation. He outlined the history of collaboration between SJTU and Bulgarian research institutions and highlighted key achievements. He proposed that the Sino-Bulgarian Joint Laboratory deepen collaborative innovation, accelerate technology transfer, strengthen cooperation mechanisms, and generate more scientific and technological achievements through innovative partnerships to contribute wisdom to regional and global sustainable development.

​Prof. Violeta Bozhanova emphasized the urgent need for transnational collaboration mechanisms to address climate change risks. She highly commended the results of Sino-Bulgarian joint research, stressing that the Joint Laboratory provides a crucial platform for deepening cooperation.

Prof. Che Shengquan (Chinese Co-Director of the Joint Laboratory) and Prof. Hrabrin Bachev (Bulgarian Co-Director of the Joint Laboratory) reviewed the research journey of the Joint Laboratory in rural climate adaptation governance. They presented joint achievements from recent years, including monographs, papers, patents, technical reports, software copyrights, and the newly released monograph Adapting to the Future: Climate Risks and Resilience in Rural Bulgaria. Prof. Che Shengquan and Prof. Hrabrin Bachev, representing the Joint Laboratory, officially presented the new book in the presence of Chargé d'Affaires Wang Min, Secretary Yang Zhenbin, Prof. Violeta Bozhanova, Momchil Stanishev, and attending experts and scholars.

Adapting to the Future: Climate Risks and Resilience in Rural Bulgaria represents the latest academic achievement of the Joint Laboratory. Based on CMIP6 multi-model data, the research team simulated Bulgaria's climate under various scenarios for the next 100 years. Results indicate that Bulgaria's temperature will rise annually, with an average increase of 3.7~5.2% across different scenarios, while precipitation will decrease 4.6~7.3% annually. Rural areas in Bulgaria face severe challenges from climate change, particularly impacting agriculture, water resource systems, forest ecosystems, and infrastructure. Droughts and wildfires were identified as the primary climate disaster risks. The book not only provides a comprehensive analysis of climate adaptation pathways for Bulgarian rural areas but also offers scientifically-based adaptive design recommendations tailored to the characteristics of Bulgarian villages. These recommendations, based on joint research team surveys in 32 Bulgarian municipalities, include constructing ventilation corridors, implementing ecological rainwater management, establishing sustainable land use management systems, and other measures to ensure sustainable rural development in the context of climate change.

Following the presentation, Dr. Qin Yifeng (Postdoctoral Researcher, SJTU School of Design), Assoc. Prof. Rositsa Uzunova (Agricultural University Plovdiv), Chief Assistant Prof. Veselin Krustev (Institute of Agricultural Economics), and Prof. Svetlana Alexandrova (University of National and World Economy) shared and discussed their research findings on future climate modeling and prediction, climate risk assessment, and rural climate change and sustainable development. Finally, the Joint Laboratory conducted technical training on rural climate risk simulation and adaptation strategies for core technical staff from both countries, and members discussed future research plans and work arrangements.

The SJTU research team and Bulgarian partners were successively approved for the following projects:

Shanghai Science and Technology Commission "Belt and Road" International Joint Laboratory Project: Sino-Bulgarian Joint Lab on Climate Change Adaptative Governance for Rural Ecosystem (2020).

Guilin Science and Technology Plan Project: China-Bulgaria Research Center for Climate Change and Ecological Tourism Sustainable Development (2023).

These projects further promote bilateral science and technology resource linkage and strengthen the construction of international research collaboration platforms.

In recent years, the Sino-Bulgarian joint research team has achieved a series of results in rural climate adaptation governance and sustainable agricultural technology, including:

Published over 20 papers in international authoritative journals such as Ecological Indicators, Sustainable Cities and Societies, and Urban Climate.

Obtained 5 invention patents and 1 software copyright.

Developed technical outputs including the Technical Manual for Rural Climate Adaptation Governance, the Bulgarian Rural Climate Risk Assessment Report, and the Design Plan for Future Climate Risk Adaptation and Resilience Building in Bulgarian Rural Areas. Relevant findings were incorporated into the Bulgarian Agriculture 2030 Development Plan compiled by the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

Proposed climate adaptation design solutions for the Samokov Municipality in Bulgaria.

The event was reported by authoritative media, including the Xinhua News Agency (English Service) and Bulgarian National Television - Agricultural Channel:

Xinhua (English): 

https://english.news.cn/20250606/d7d86b375ac44e8586fe8f0e887327f2/c.html

​Bulgarian National Television - Agricultural Channel:

https://youtu.be/BumvCUgCqAM

​​​Other Bulgarian Media Reports:

https://nivabg.com/prof-hrabrin-bashev-savmestnata-laboratoriia-za-upravlenie-na-klimatichnite-promeni-v-selskite-raioni-dade-tlasak-na-otnosheniiata-ni-s-kitai/

https://china2ceec.org/apaccceec-participation-china-bulgaria-climate-change-and-rural-revitalization-forum/

https://agro.bg/novini/nauka-i-obrazovanie/provede-se-v-ti-balgaro-kitayskiya-nauchen-simpozium-za-promenite-v-klimata-i-sazhivyavaneto-na-selskite-rayoni-organiziran-ot-iai-ssa/