Between September 19^th to 25^th, Li Hefeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), led a delegation of six people from the Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CAS to visit Tajikistan, Russia and Kazakhstan, and conducted an investigation on the personnel management, working and living situation of the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (RCEECA).

In Dushanbe, Tajikistan, he held talks with Vice President Saidov of the Tajikistan Academy of Sciences (TAS), and listened to a briefing by Saidov on the history and affiliated institutions of TAS, as well as the cooperation with China. After a brief introduction to the institutional situation of CAS, Li Hefeng expressed his wish to deepen and broaden bilateral cooperation and exchanges on the present basis. At Dushanbe Branch of RCEECA, Li Hefeng learned about the construction process, administration structure, research focus and achievements of the center through the panels, visited the information center, the laboratory and the drone exhibition hall, and listened to the progress of the cooperation on disasters in Sarez Lake. Moreover, he also paid a visit to the Kondara Mountains Ecosystem Field Monitoring and Research Station and the Nurek hydropower station for field investigation.

In Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, he visited the Kazakhstan Research Institute of Forestry, investigated the Shchuchinsk Forest Ecosystem Monitoring and Research Station, attended the opening ceremony of “China-Kazakhstan Big Data Analysis Center”, and held a symposium with Ismail, Vice President of S.Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University. In Almaty, he held talks with Saparov, Vice President of the Kazakhstan Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Director of the Soil and Agrochemical Research Institute, Director of Almaty Branch, RCEECA, and visited the Soil Science Museum and the Laboratory of Almaty Branch, RCEECA. Subsequently, he received the scientific research team members of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography who were about to set out to conduct a joint investigation on China-Kazakhstan water resources and environmental changes in the Syr Darya River Basin, inquired about the working details in visit schedule, route planning and logistical support. Furthermore, he discussed and exchanged views on the problems and difficulties existing in daily scientific research work and technological cooperation in Central Asia, encouraged everyone to endure loneliness and hardship, and contributed to scientific and technological cooperation between China and Kazakhstan while greeting the 70th birthday of the motherland with practical actions.

In Moscow, Russia, he attended the Forum for Chinese Scholars and Students Studying in Russia organized by the Education Department of Chinese Embassy in Russia, and visited the Lomonosov Moscow State University. In Saint Petersburg, he visited the School of Oriental Culture and School of Geography of Saint Petersburg State University, and the affiliated ecological field research base. He also conducted exchanges with PIFI scholar Natalia, and learned about her current work in Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography.

Chen Xi, Vice President of Xinjiang Branch, CAS, Director of RCEECA and Professor of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, attended the activities in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, and Liu Wenjiang, Executive Deputy Director of RCEECA and Professor of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography participated in the whole course of the above activities.

Visit the Tajikistan Academy of Sciences

Researcher symposium

Visit the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (Dushanbe)

Visit the Drone Center

Visit to the Kondara Station

Visit the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (Almaty)

Investigate the Shchuchinsk Station

Visit the Saint Petersburg State University