Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia (“RCEECA” for short), Kathmandu Center for Science and Education (“Kathmandu Center” for short), China-Sri Lanka Joint Center Science & Education (“China-Sri Lanka Center” for short), and China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences (“China-Pakistan Center” for short) held the third joint council meeting in Beijing and Guangzhou both online and offline on October 12, 2022. Zhang Yaping, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Director-general of RCEECA, attended the meeting, and relevant departments of CAS, directors and representatives of council members, and all staff of RCEECA attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Wang Zhenyu, Deputy Director of Bureau of International Cooperation CAS. 

Chen Xi, Director of RCEECA, systematically reported the implementation of work and expenditure, feedback of performance evaluation results and rectification plans of RCEECA in 2022, as well as the work plan and budget arrangement in 2023 from such aspects as scientific research progress and output of achievements, management of RCEECA, use of expenditure, work plan, etc. The Council considered and adopted the annual work report of RCEECA, the matters to be considered and the list of directors recommended by council members.

The attending directors discussed such important issues as strengthening the platform construction of overseas centers, scientific research cooperation planning, network layout of overseas field observation stations, training of overseas students, improvement of overseas center management and risk prevention schemes, resource allocation, further improvement of scientific research output and social impact. 

In his concluding speech, Director-general Zhang Yaping fully affirmed the efforts and achievements made by overseas centers to continuously promote the construction of centers under the epidemic situation. He pointed out that all overseas centers should, in response to the major needs of our country, care about and take responsibility for state affairs, focus on main responsibility and business, and produce achievements, train talents and generate thoughts. He stressed that each overseas center should, firstly, serve the major deployment and task of our country’s The Belt and Road Initiative, targeting the major concerns and needs of the country and region where each center is located as well as the key areas of the supporting units to further focus on the goals of the platforms and serve our country’s science and technology diplomacy; secondly, it is necessary to strengthen the linkage among overseas centers, closely combine with the key work direction of the business bureau and give play to the advantages of the platforms to form influential work results; thirdly, we should strengthen the management of overseas centers, improve and standardize the management system and risk prevention and control programs of each center; fourthly, we should attach importance to the cultivation and introduction of talents, effectively integrate resources and enable international talents to be an important force for cooperation; fifthly, we should actively seek support from all quarters, integrate multiple resources to support the sustainable development of overseas centers.

President Zhang Yaping delivers a speech

The scene of the video meeting

The site of the offline meeting

The site of the offline meeting