Thursday, September 25, 2025 - 12:40 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Memorial Union Building Theater II
Professor Lin Zhang
Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies, UNH
Around the world, governments and companies are turning to “smart farming”, AI and big data to solve deep-rooted challenges in agriculture. This talk explores how these technologies play out in rural China, tracing their evolution from early cybernetics to today’s AI-driven platforms. Using the mushroom industry in Gutian, Fujian, as a case study, I show how data systems reshape relationships between farmers, companies, and the state—sometimes solving problems, sometimes creating new ones. By placing China’s experience alongside other global cases, we can see how local governance, land systems, and rural economies shape the promises and pitfalls of the data-driven farm.
Part of the New Hampshire International Seminar (NHIS) Series.
This event is sponsored by the Department of Political Science & International Affairs with generous support from the Frank D. McCann Fund in International Affairs.
