Peking University delegation visits IIASA

Peking University (PKU) is a long-standing partner of IIASA in China. To further strengthen relations and discuss future opportunities, a delegation from PKU, led by its President, Qihuang Gong, visited IIASA on 6 April 2023. IIASA Interim Deputy Director General for Science, Wolfgang Lutz, welcomed the delegation and gave an overview of the most recent IIASA research activities with China. President Gong expressed his appreciation for the collaborative research undertaken at IIASA and he anticipates many future successes.

The Dean of PKU College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Tong Zhu, gave a presentation on the multidisciplinary research undertaken at the university, as well as celebrating the 125 years since the university was established. A round table discussion, facilitated by IIASA Capacity Development and Academic Training Unit Dean, Fabian Wagner, followed the presentations, giving the researchers an opportunity to share views on the direction of future collaborations. Capacity building was seen as one of the major strengths of the cooperation between the two institutions. Research summaries presented during the meeting by two IIASA-PKU postdoctoral fellows, Shasha Xu and Yue He, demonstrated the values and benefits of these capacity building initiatives for early career researchers. 

During the meeting, the role of science diplomacy was highlighted as an important factor in maintaining and building further international research cooperation. Science and Technology Counselor of the Embassy of China to Austria, Fengyun Lei, who also joined the meeting, expressed appreciation for the work and future engagements between IIASA and PKU. 

IIASA Population and Just Societies Program Director Anne Goujon, IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Director Petr Havlik, and IIASA Pollution Management Research Group Leader in the Energy, Climate, and Environment Program Zbigniew Klimont, gave short overviews of the joint work with PKU in their respective programs. Among the diversity of topics highlighted were bioenergy and food security, pollution and climate models, as well as population health and wellbeing.   

The PKU delegation also included: Deputy Director of the Health Science Centre Xiaoguang Liu, Director of Undergraduate Education Suiyan Fu, Chairman of the School of International Studies Council Xiaobo Chu, Director of the Office of International Relations Yun Li, Professor at the School of Physics Bin Qiao, Chief of Exchange Programs Zhe Cui, and Secretary at the President's Office Qiming Sun. 

IIASA participants of the meeting included Interim Head of Communications and External Relations Department Ansa Heyl, Senior Research Scholar Gui-Ying Cao, Science Diplomacy Officer Sergey Sizov, External Relations Officer Jodey Peyton, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director General for Science Anastasia Lijadi, and Admin and Events Coordinator Cherry Edwards.