2026 International Horticultural Congress Youth 3MHT China Preliminary Selection Event

On February 5, the 2026 International Horticultural Congress (IHC2026) Youth 3MHT China Preliminary Selection Event, hosted by the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science, was successfully held at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing. Five distinguished experts were invited to serve as judges: Ms. Zhai Lin, Deputy Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAAS; Dr. Bi Jieying, Director of the Office of the Overseas Agricultural Research Center, CAAS; Dr. Dong Yiwei, Director of the Research Management Division of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, CAAS; Dr. Wang Entao, Director of the Graduate Student Affairs Division of the Institute of Plant Protection, CAAS; and Dr. Qin Lin, Associate Professor at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS.

Following an open call and rigorous selection process across universities, research institutes, and affiliated branches nationwide, six doctoral students from China Agricultural University, Huazhong Agricultural University, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Beijing Forestry University were finally selected to compete on stage.

The event was chaired by Professor Zhai Yanning, Deputy Director of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS, who delivered the opening address. She noted that the International Horticultural Congress, as a premier global academic gathering in horticulture, carries the important mission of advancing disciplinary development and international collaboration. The Youth 3MHT Preliminary Selection, she emphasized, is a platform specially designed for young horticultural scholars to showcase their academic talents, exchange cutting‑edge ideas, and pursue their scientific visions on an international stage. This event aims to identify and cultivate emerging talents in horticulture, select outstanding representatives to appear on the global stage, and promote deeper integration and innovative development of horticultural science both at home and abroad.

During the competition, the contestants delivered engaging three‑minute English presentations on frontier topics such as citrus genomics and genetic improvement, coloration and fragrance formation and evolution in ornamental plants, and genetic mechanisms and fruit shape regulation in cucumber. They skillfully transformed complex research findings into clear and compelling talks. After intense competition and careful evaluation by the judging panel, in accordance with the competition rules, one male and one female contestant were ultimately selected to represent China at the 2026 IHC Youth 3MHT International Qualifying Round. The judges highly commended all contestants for their outstanding performances and provided professional feedback and guidance on aspects including logical structure, precision of academic expression, and presentation demeanour.

The successful organization of this event not only built an important bridge for young Chinese horticultural researchers to connect with the international academic community, but also fostered a strong sense of patriotism and global vision among the participants. It helped them grow into a new generation of talents with international competitiveness, injected fresh youthful energy into the innovative development of horticultural science, and contributed Chinese wisdom and insight to global exchange and cooperation in the field of horticulture.