On April 27^th and 28^th, 2019, the International Meeting on Past Climate & Environmental Changes in Central Asia and the Inauguration Ceremony of Third Pole Environment (TPE) Iran Center was held at the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of Iran (hereafter referred to as Gorgan University). Chen Fahu, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Director of Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and Secretary General of Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), Najafinejad, President of Gorgan University, Chen Xi, Vice President of Xinjiang Branch, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (RCEECA), Liu Yu, Director of Institute of Earth Environment and Ma Yaoming, Deputy Director of Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, attended the ceremony. Nearly 100 people from CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, RCEECA, Lanzhou University, Iran’s Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology, Center of Progress and Development, National Museum, Bureau of Geological Research, Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere Science, Tehran University, Islamic University of Arad, and Gorgan University attended the meeting. 

At the opening ceremony, Najafinejad, President of Gorgan University thanked Chinese experts for attending the meeting and expressed the willingness to deepen and strengthen bilateral cooperation under TPE framework. Afterwards, Director Chen Fahu delivered keynote report and introduced the structure setting, research orientation of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, latest research result on loess and environment changes, current major research projects and information about ANSO in details. 16 experts conducted academic exchanges on environment archaeology, loess deposit, extreme weather in history, tree ring and monsoon, hydrologic process and model and data access.

The inauguration ceremony for TPE Iran Center was hosted by Director Chen Fahu and representatives from Gorgan University, Iran’s Ministry of Science and Technology, Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geology and Environment and RCEECA all expressed their congratulations for this event. On behalf of Director Chen Xi, Liu Wenjiang, Professor of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography and Executive Deputy Director of RCEECA introduced the positioning, goals, work progress of RCEECA and its cooperation with Iran in his speech and expressed the willingness to work together with TPE Iran Center to jointly push forward and strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the scientific research institutes of Iran. After signing the Memorandum of Cooperation, Director Chen Fahu and   President Najafinejad unveiled the plaque for TPE Iran Center together.

Before the meeting, they visited Gorgan University’s Soil Science Department and Soil Museum and investigated the distribution of vertical ecosystem from the forest in Southern Gorgan mountainous area to the desert and grassland in its north as well as Gorgan Gulf of the Caspian Sea.

Third Pole Environment (TPE), first promoted by Academician Yao Tandong of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009, aims to promote international scientific and technological cooperation among “the third pole regions” with Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas Mountain as the center so as to jointly solve a series of environment problems caused by rapid melting of glaciers due to the climate changes of “Asia’s water tower” and raised corresponding measures to deal with it. 

Inauguration ceremony

Chen Fahu hosts the inauguration ceremony

President delivers a speech

Liu Wenjiang delivers a speech

Conference scene