Strengthening research collaboration with Peking University

IIASA welcomed a high-level delegation from Peking University (PKU) on 27 November 2025 for a full day of strategic discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across several scientific domains. The visit opened with remarks by IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber and PKU Academician Zhu Tong, who emphasized the strength and future potential of the IIASA–PKU partnership.

“Peking University has been one of IIASA’s most committed partners in Asia. This delegation visit demonstrates not only the scientific depth of our collaboration but also our shared commitment to addressing global challenges through rigorous, interdisciplinary research. Partnerships like this ensure that cutting-edge science informs policy at the highest levels,” noted Schellnhuber.

Discussions moved through ongoing cooperation, the PKU–IIASA Postdoctoral Fellowship, and opportunities to expand mentorship and training through IIASA programs such as the Institute’s Young Scientists Summer Program. The delegation then engaged in an open dialogue before listening to a series of flash talks presented by PKU postdoctoral researchers currently working across IIASA programs.

In the afternoon, the delegation met with researchers from the IIASA Population and Just Societies Program to explore plans for developing subnational and provincial population projections for China, advancing demographic modeling approaches, and generating policy-relevant insights for education, health, and fiscal planning.

IIASA Deputy Director General Karen Lips highlighted the significance of this joint work, noting that, “IIASA and PKU share a vision of science that delivers actionable insights. The expertise of PKU’s demographers and environmental scientists combined with IIASA’s integrated systems approach makes this partnership uniquely powerful.”

Just a few days later, IIASA welcomed Professor Chen Gong, Director of PKU’s Institute of Population Research, for a dedicated visit on 1 December. His program began with a bilateral meeting with Schellnhuber, accompanied by IIASA guest senior research scholar, Gui-Ying Cao, followed by a broader session, which included an overview of IIASA’s Capacity Development and Academic Training (CDAT) activities by CDAT Dean, Fabian Wagner, and insights into current research in the Population and Just Societies Program from Program Director, Anne Goujon.

The discussions also highlighted the broad range of research areas in which IIASA and PKU’s Institute of Population Research see strong potential for collaboration. These include population health and healthy life expectancy, aging and disability, fertility behavior under low-fertility conditions,  migration dynamics, social determinants of carbon consumption, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Capital, and the evolving spatial distribution of talent in the digital economy. The Institute’s long-standing role as a national think tank contributing to major State Council strategies on elderly health, wellbeing policy, and national population development between 2005 and 2025, further reinforces the value of deepening its partnership with IIASA, particularly in developing policy-relevant demographic analyses and next-generation population modeling.

The two visits reaffirmed the more than two decades of scientific cooperation between IIASA and PKU, featuring joint publications, shared training programs, and the development of multiple generations of early-career researchers. Reflecting on this ongoing partnership, Schellnhuber emphasized that it is “not only about scientific excellence, it is about shaping a sustainable future.”

Both institutions expressed strong interest in expanding collaborative research, deepening demographic and environmental modeling efforts, and supporting the next generation of scholars committed to solving global challenges.