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Unveiling ceremony of Front Research Center at Lanzhou University

In order to thoroughly practice the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, implement the "Opinions of the State Council on Comprehensively Strengthening Basic Scientific Research", and complete the deployment of executing Everest Plan of the University's Basic Research about building cutting-edge science centers, on June 30th, the unveiling ceremony and construction plan demonstration meeting of "Front Research Center for Eco-environment and Climate Change over the Pan Third Pole Region (hereinafter referred to as “Front Research Center”) was held at the Yifu Scientific Building of Lanzhou University.

Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yao Tandong and Chen Fahu, as well as the members of its Northwest Institute of Eco-Environmental Resources, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, and the Institute of Arid Meteorology of China Meteorological Administration, were invited to the unveiling ceremony and served as panel judges for the demonstration meeting. Besides, the participants also included Lei Siwei, Director of the Environmental Protection Department of Gansu Province, Fu Xiaofeng, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Department of Gansu Province, Zhang Qiang, Deputy Director of the Gansu Provincial Meteorological Bureau, Yuan Zhanting, Secretary of the Party Committee of Lanzhou University, Pres.Yan Chunhua, Vice Pres. An Lizhe, Pan Baotian and heads of relevant functional departments and schools. The event was hosted by Vice pres.Lizhe.

Vice pres. Pan read out the notice on setting up the Front Research Center and announced its establishment. Pres.Yan and Academician Chen jointly inaugurated the Front Research Center, and the former awarded the appointment for its academic director, director and executive deputy director.

Yuan Zhanting argued that the study was an important part of LZU's “double-class” construction. The school would vigorously promote the construction of Front Research Center and it was hoped to be the strategic pillar in the aspect of team building, multi-disciplinary deep integration and so on. He stressed that what came next for the center was divided into five points. The first is to coordinate the national strategy, and implement the state's opinions on strengthening basic scientific research. It should be adapted in discovering problems, then posing questions and solving them. In this way can national issues and project design be proposed and made. The second is supporting the development of local economy and society, which means not only to produce high-quality achievements in scientific research, but also to provide viable advice. The third is to train international leading talents, build a platform for international cooperation and exchanges, insist in the strategies of “bringing in” and “going out”, and help young teachers grow up. Fourth, we must build geosciences into a world-class discipline, maintain advantages, highlight unique features, further confirm the direction of disciplines and create more highlights in discipline construction. Fifth, we are supposed to build a first-class platform, effectively integrate the resources of all parties within and outside the school, and strive to establish a national laboratory over the Pan Third Pole Region by improving the innovative systems of management, policy, employment and cooperation.

Academician Yao emphasized that after 5 to 10 years, the Front Research Center wouldbe built into a scientific highland in the Chinese geosciences: it is a highland for talents, platforms and achievements.

After the unveiling ceremony, the experts demonstrated the construction plan of the Front Research Center. Prof. Huang Jianping, Director of the Front Research Center, reported to the expert group on the construction plan. He said that the center would systematically study the water cycle, water resources security and ecosystem stability in the Pan Third Pole Region against the background of the formation, evolution and global climate change of its environment, and build a theoretical system of earth system science. It would produce some innovative research results that lead the international scientific Front, give scientific supports for the construction in ecological security of the western part of China, and provide a scientific basis for the implementation of “Belt and Road” initiative and international climate negotiations.

 

(Translated by Ren Yanyang; proofread by Yang Fan; edited by Zhang Yuyuan)