The first session of the Ninth Faculty Congress and the Eighth Trade Union Member Congress of the School of Agriculture and Biology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University was successfully held in the school's auditorium on the afternoon of January 12. Present at the meeting were Zhou Wei, Chairwoman of the University Trade Union, Hou Shibing, Secretary of the School Party Committee, Ai Lianzhong, Dean of the School, and all members of the school's leadership. Representatives of the Ninth Faculty Congress and the Eighth Trade Union Member Congress attended the meeting, which was presided over by Yin Shan, Vice Dean of the School.

In her opening address, Zhou Wei, Chairwoman of the University Trade Union, fully affirmed the recent work of the School of Agriculture and Biology and highly commended its outstanding achievements in talent cultivation, scientific research, and social services. She emphasized that the School Trade Union must continue to deepen its distinctive "Four-Dimensional" work system—characterized by "depth in ideological guidance, warmth in serving people's livelihood, strength in supporting growth, and vibrancy in cultural activities". She urged the union to uphold ideological leadership, consolidate its political foundation, deepen democratic management, build consensus for development, focus on central tasks to enhance service quality, and strengthen self-improvement to increase efficacy in fulfilling its duties.

Dean Ai Lianzhong delivered the school's work report and financial report, systematically reviewing the positive progress made in all undertakings of the school in 2025. The report highlighted that the school has consistently adhered to the comprehensive leadership of the Party and continuously improved the quality and effectiveness of its Party-building efforts. It noted significant achievements in scientific research and innovation, steady improvements in the quality of education and teaching, new breakthroughs in international cooperation, and growing capabilities in social services and policy consultation. Ai Lianzhong stressed that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, building on existing accomplishments, the school will further clarify its development direction, focus on key tasks, deepen reforms and innovation, and strive to write a new chapter in its development.

Chen Han, Deputy Secretary of the School Party Committee and Chairwoman of the School Trade Union, presented the work report and financial report of the School Trade Union. The report stated that the School Trade Union has always centered on serving the needs of faculty and staff, strengthened ideological and political guidance, emphasized maintaining and enhancing its political nature, advanced nature, and connection with the masses, effectively served as a bridge and bond, and continuously improved its service and support capabilities. Moving forward, the union will continue to focus on the concerns of faculty and staff, unite efforts, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, and advance all tasks to a new level.

During the session, representatives carefully reviewed and extensively discussed the school's work report, financial report, and the trade union's related reports. They actively provided suggestions and shared insights on topics such as optimizing disciplinary structure, team building, talent recruitment and evaluation mechanisms, research platform and space support, improving teaching quality, and caring for faculty and staff, offering many constructive recommendations that provided important reference for the school's future scientific decision-making. The congress elected members of the Eighth School Trade Union Committee, with seven comrades—Chen Gaole, Chen Han, Jiang Shui, Liu Yifan, Peng Yongzheng, Sun Ningxiao, and Xie Qiang—successfully elected.

In his closing speech, Hou Shibing, Secretary of the School Party Committee, emphasized the importance of upholding political principles with a clear stance, further strengthening the "Four Consciousnesses", firmly grasping the correct direction of school governance, and continuously leveraging the important role of the "Two Congresses" and the Trade Union in the school's governance. He pointed out that the school still faces challenges in building a high-level faculty team and cultivating outstanding talents, necessitating continued efforts and accelerated progress. Hou Shibing called on all faculty and staff to unite and work together to promote development, steadily advance key tasks such as building major research teams and improving teaching quality. He urged the school's leadership team to strengthen collaboration, refine responsibilities, enhance governance efficacy, actively seek resources and platform support, promote the translation of research outcomes and social services, comprehensively elevate the school's developmental capacity and core competitiveness, and strive unremittingly to build a world-class agricultural science discipline with Chinese characteristics.

This congress was a democratic, united, pragmatic, and pioneering event. Standing at the new starting point of the '15th Five-Year Plan', the meeting further unified thinking, built consensus, and clarified the direction. All faculty and staff of the school will take this congress as an opportunity to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, fulfill the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, seize the momentum, move forward with determination, and continue to achieve new glories in serving agricultural modernization and rural revitalization.