Chancellor Gary S. May traveled to France this week, leading a university delegation to establish and enhance UC Davis partnerships with French institutions.

Today (May 21), on the second day of a visit to Montpellier, the chancellor signed an agreement of cooperation with the University of Montpellier and MUSE, a consortium of seven European research institutions, to support transnational startup companies.

Monday, the chancellor addressed the 4th World Congress on Agroforestry on its opening day, and participated in a panel on agroforestry, food security and nutrition. The delegation’s Monday schedule also included a visit to SupAgro, a public institution devoted to higher education and research in agriculture, food and the environment, for the signing of an agreement in support of a partnership between the institution and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The delegation’s schedule in Paris, Wednesday (May 22), includes meetings at the U.S. Embassy, the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) and AgroParisTech, and the signing of an agreement of cooperation with Sorbonne University. The Cal Aggie Alumni Association has arranged a reception with UC Davis alumni and parents in Paris.

Cooperation in Bordeaux

Friday (May 24), the last day of the trip, the chancellor is expected to renew an agreement of cooperation with the University of Bordeaux. The delegation’s visit there will coincide with the 10th anniversary celebration of the university’s Institute of Vine and Wine Science. Chancellor May and Andrew L. Waterhouse, professor of viticulture and enology and director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, will participate on a panel titled “Global Perspectives.”

Members of the delegation include Joanna Regulska, vice provost and associate chancellor of Global Affairs; and Ermias Kebreab, associate dean of global engagement in Global Affairs, and director of the World Food Center, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Others from UC Davis joining the chancellor for specific portions of the trip include Dushyant Pathak, associate vice chancellor for technology management and corporate relations; Rachel Jean-Baptiste, associate professor, Department of History, and faculty director of the UC Education Abroad Program in France; and Atul Parikh, professor, departments of Biomedical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, and chair of the interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Group.

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