On 19 February 2016, Prof. Pingxing Ding, the director of Faculty of Earth Sciences, East China Normal University (ECNU), headed a delegation to visit Louisiana State University(LSU) and joined the signing ceremony of MOU between the two universities. The delegation visited the College of the Coast & Environment and College of Renewable Resources in LSU and had academic discussions with related scientists.

LSU has a strong academic reputation for its programs in political science, animal sciences, plant biology, engineering, and English. Taking advantage of the nearby Gulf of Mexico and estuary of Mississippi River, the university also offers excellent programs in estuarine and coastal studies and ecology as part of its status as a sea grant college.

ECNU and LSU wish to establish a collaboration benefit to both parties. This MOU states the parties’ interest in working on combined programs, as well as the general terms under which they will pursue cooperative research activities. They plan to develop the activities as below: 1) development of combined research projects; 2) funding search and joint answers to calls for projects; 3) joint projects in support of economic development; 4) joint publications.