On 14th November 2020, Mr. Anshuman Varma, Deputy Head of ESCAP-CSAM, participated virtually and delivered closing remarks at the closing session of the 2020 China Agricultural Robot Competition which was held in Qingdao.

Mr. Varma congratulated the organizers for the successful organization of the Robot Competition and highlighted the importance of this event, particularly at the current juncture when the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the entire agricultural value chain in many countries of the Asia-Pacific region. He pointed out that events like the Robot Competition which promote innovative solutions and tap the energy and creativity of the youth are much needed and deserve encouragement. 

This is the third year when ESCAP-CSAM has collaborated with the College of Engineering of China Agricultural University and other partners for supporting the organization of the China Agricultural Robot Competition. In 2020, about 30 teams from universities and research institutes in China participated in the Robot Competition. Due to travel restrictions, students in other countries in Asia-Pacific region were unable to attend the event on-site but many of them followed the competition closely online with the help of the arrangements made by the organizers.