The two week Seminar on Fruit Processing and Comprehensive Utilisation for Belt and Road Countries has ended in Beijing, China, with participants from nine countries commending their hosts for the knowledge, hospitality and professional experience gained during the programme.
Speaking on behalf of the participants at the closing ceremony, Mr Odita Sunday Udemaguna described the August 4 to 17, 2026 seminar as a remarkable learning experience that brought together professionals from different parts of the world.
Udemaguna said the participants arrived in Beijing as strangers but would return to their respective countries as colleagues, friends and ambassadors of the relationships established during the programme.
He expressed appreciation to the China National Research Institute of Food and Fermentation Industries Corporation for conceiving and organising the seminar, describing its execution as professional and meticulous.
He particularly commended the Chief Host, Mr Peng Hao, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, and his deputy, Mrs Guo Chen, for their accessibility, warmth and commitment to the welfare of the participants throughout the programme.
According to him, the lectures delivered by Chinese professors provided participants with valuable knowledge on modern fruit processing and the comprehensive utilisation of fruit resources, which he said would be useful in their respective professional fields.
Beyond the classroom, Udemaguna praised the organisers for the quality of accommodation and hospitality provided throughout the participants’ stay, noting that the delegates were treated as honoured guests.
He also commended the group supervisors, including Xipo Wang, popularly known as Vincent or “Cheers Up”, Ruixi Wang, known as Cecillia, Yuhan Wang, known as Nancy, and Yuan Sheng Guan, for their professionalism and dedication.
He said the supervisors successfully promoted punctuality, discipline and effective coordination among the participants, describing the experience as an important lesson that delegates would seek to replicate in their institutions and countries.
The seminar, he noted, reflected the spirit of Belt and Road cooperation, with participants drawn from Jordan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Udemaguna said the diversity of the participants created opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange, professional networking and the development of friendships capable of lasting beyond the duration of the seminar.
He also highlighted the study visits to Damin Food Company Limited in Zhangzhou, Fujian Zishan Group Company Limited, Tianfu Tea Culture Industrial Park, Fujian Lixing Food Company Limited and the Ten Fu Tea Museum.
According to him, the study tours exposed participants to China’s industrial capacity, technological innovation, discipline and approach to food processing, while providing practical insight that complemented the theoretical lessons delivered in the classroom.
Udemaguna described the visit to the Great Wall of China as another memorable highlight of the programme, drawing a comparison between the historic structure and China’s development journey built on vision, resilience, patience and sustained effort.
As the participants prepared to return home, he said they were leaving Beijing with enhanced knowledge, stronger international networks and a renewed commitment to applying the lessons of the seminar.
He expressed gratitude to the organisers, lecturers, supervisors and fellow participants, stressing that although the seminar had ended, its relationships and lessons would continue to produce benefits across the participating countries.
“Xie xie. Thank you, and God bless you all,” Udemaguna said on behalf of the participants.