The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) project and the East China Normal University (ECNU) was held on 14 October 2013 at ECNU, Shanghai, China. This MOU extends the term of the IMBER Regional Project Office (RPO) which is hosted by the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC) at ECNU for another three years. Eileen Hofmann, Chair of the IMBER Scientific Steering Committee, Ziqiang Zhu, Vice-President of ECNU, Yunxuan Zhou, Director of SKLEC, Shuzhe Ding, Director of the International Exchange Department of ECNU, and the IMBER Regional Project Office staff attended the ceremony. Eileen Hofmann and Ziqiang Zhu signed the MOU on behalf of IMBER and ECNU.
Eileen Hofmann and Ziqiang Zhu signed the MOU on behalf of IMBER and ECNU.
The intial MOU, to establish a RPO to promote integrated marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem research in the Asia-Pacific region, was signed by IMBER and ECNU in 2010. During its first three years, the RPO has made a significant contribution to the implementation of IMBER research and has became an essential part of IMBER community. The RPO has developed an excellent network of scientists engaged in IMBER-related research in the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the RPOs major achievements include the organisation of the very successeful 5th and 6th China-Japan-Korea IMBER Symposia in 2011 and 2013, respectively, and the International Workshop on Capacity Building Needs Assessment in 2012. With RPO within theBy hosting IMBER RPO at the laboratory, SKLEC has developedgreatly extended its international collaboration network in marine biogeochemistry, marine chemistry and related fieldsresearch areas, and has been well to keepinformed with the frontier and new focuses of the international research in marine science focus on problems at the frontier of the marine science. All these have brought significant, greatly benefitsing to the internationalization of SKLEC.
Yunxuan Zhou convened the ceremony and gave the welcome address, providing a brief introduction to SKLEC and its international collaborations. Ziqiang Zhu, speaking on behalf of ECNU, noted the critical role that IMBER plays in marine research and thanked IMBER for choosing to base its RPO at ECNU. Eileen Hofmann acknowledged ECNU for its continued support for the IMBER RPO, which indicates its strong commitment to international global environmental change science research. She commended the RPO on its successful first three years, pointing out how its achievements have contributed greatly to the implementation of IMBER science and the development of the IMBER community at regional and global levels. She briefly introduced the new international research initiative, Future Earth, and IMBER’s planned scientific direction to accede into Future Earth. She encouraged the RPO to continue to build on its success and consider how it might further its involvement in Future Earth in the Asian science community, as well as international science community.
IMBER and ECNU will look forward to a productive and wonderful partnership.