Professors Chunli Bai and Sebastian H. Mernild at the Nansen Center.

The President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Professor Chunli Bai visited the Nansen Center as the main research institution during his current trip to Europe. President Bai wanted to get acquainted with the three Norwegian partner institutions behind the Nansen-Zhu International Research Center (NZC) founded in Beijing in 2003. Professor Bai highlighted that the NZC cooperation “has made a significant contribution to climate research and training with emphasis on tropical and high-latitude regions, and the interactions between these regions”.

The Nansen-Zhu Center was founded 15 years ago after initiative from the directors of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of CAS and the Nansen Center in Bergen. The University of Bergen was invited as a founding partner and later UniResearch Climate (soon NORCE) joined the NZC partnership and the extensive climate scientific and educational cooperation with the research centre located at IAP-CAS in Beijing.

Prof. Bai and his delegation met yesterday with the Minister of Research and Higher Education Iselin Nybø, who earlier this year visited the Nansen-Zhu Center. The Minister promoted during their meeting the NZC as the most efficient and productive scientific cooperation between China and Norway. Prof. Bai stressed here in Bergen that “the NZC is an excellent example for the collaboration between China and Norway and I hope the Norwegian partners of NZC, can make further and significant achievements in future”.

President of Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor Chunli Bai and the CAS delegation at the Nansen Center together with scientists from the three partner institutions in Bergen behind the Nansen-Zhu International Research Center.

Prof. Bai informed that CAS scientists on partnership with others are in the process of initiating the international Three Poles Environment and Climate Changes (TPEC) science program, which includes coordinated research in the Arctic, the Himalaya and Antarctica. The TPEC program is likely to be by Prof. Tandong Yao, who presented this Chinese initiative during the meeting. President Bai´s invitation was clear “we would like that the Norwegian scientists can actively participate into this very promising program”.

China launched in January 2018 the white paper “China´s Arctic Policy”. In this policy China wants “to understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, so as to safeguard the common interests of all countries and the international community in the Arctic, and promote sustainable development of the Arctic.” President Bai came with a clear invitation “.. based on the NZC collaboration, CAS would like to further strengthen the Arctic research cooperation between China and Norway.” He clearly concluded that “I truly hope that my visit will further promote the collaboration between us through the Nansen-Zhu International Research Centre”.

The CAS delegation was introduced to the NZC partners from Bergen represented by the Director of the Nansen Center Professor Sebastian H. Mernild, Rector Dag Rune Olsen from University of Bergen, Research director Trond Dokken from NORCE Climate and Professor Tore Furevik, director of the Bjerknes Centre. The director and co-director of the NZC, Professors Jianqi Sun and Yongqi Gao, gave an overview of the activities of the Sino-Norwegian scientific and educational cooperation at the Nansen-Zhu Center during the first 15 years of operations.

Professor Bai was accompanied among other by Professor Jinghua Cao, Director General of CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, Professor Tandong Yao, Honorary Director of CAS Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Professor Fahu Chen, Director General of CAS Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Professor Jiang Zhu, Director General of CAS Institute of Atmospheric Physics and Dr. Li Jun the CEO of Sugon Company.