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On February 22, the first meeting of the first Chinese Council of the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences (CPJRC) was held in Beijing. Personnel attending the meeting included: Prof. Zhang Yaping, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Chairman of the Council of CPJRC; Prof. Cao Jinghua, Vice Chairman of the Council and Director of Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS; Prof. Wen Anbang, Vice Chairman of the Council and Director of Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE); as well as representatives from Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education, Bureau of Major R&D Programs, Bureau of Science and Technology for Development, Bureau of Personnel, Bureau of Facility Support and Budget, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Institution of Geology and Geophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics and other units, and representatives from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Institute of Earth Environment and other partners. The meeting was chaired by Cao Jinghua.

At the meeting, Prof. Zhang Yaping issued letters of appointment to the members of the Council. Academician Cui Peng introduced the progress of the construction of CPJRC. Chen Xiaoqing, Deputy Director of IMHE, and Su Lijun, Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Surface Processes of CAS, respectively reported the organization structure, personnel employment, management documents and work plan during the preparation period for establishment of the Center and submitted them for discussion. The meeting reviewed and approved the appointment of Academician Cui Peng as the Chinese Director of CPJRC, and reviewed the progress report on the preparation for establishment of CPJRC, the organization structure and the plan for the establishment of the Chinese management team, the draft of management documents for the unincorporated units of CAS, and the work plan and budget report during preparation period (2019-2021) for establishment of the Center.

Prof. Zhang Yaping pointed out that the governments of China and Pakistan attach great importance to and support the construction of CPJRC, and hope to build it into a national platform which can promote cooperation in science and education between the two countries, and provide scientific and technological support for the construction of the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" and the "Belt and Road". According to the cooperation agreement between CAS and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the two parties will jointly invest in the construction of scientific research infrastructures, and CPJRC will be registered as a non-profit academic institution with independent legal person status, making it a new pattern and a new attempt in the history of CAS's construction of overseas science and education cooperation centers.

Prof. Zhang Yaping asked the Bureau of International Cooperation to enhance top-level design and management, further strengthen coordination with Pakistan, guide the supporting units and partners to further optimize the plan for preparation of establishment, and simplify the organizational and management structure; set up a special working group to draft the charter and management documents of CPJRC; promote scientific and educational cooperation under the framework of the "Alliance of International Science Organizations" (ANSO) and increase influence; and give full play to CPJRC as a platform, so that it can serve the core tasks related with earth sciences and provide more support to China-Pakistan cooperation in other disciplines. He hoped that all units could make concerted efforts to actively participate in the preparation and cooperation of CPJRC from a higher starting point, so that it could play a greater role in providing scientific and technological support for the construction of the "Belt and Road", have a greater international influence in academic research, and become a new benchmark among the overseas science and education cooperation centers of CAS.

On November 3, 2018, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan entered into a cooperation agreement on the joint construction of CPJRC under the joint witness of Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the agreement, the two countries plan to build the CPJRC into a national platform for promoting scientific and educational cooperation, which can provide scientific and technological support for the construction of the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" from the aspects of disaster prevention and alleviation, resource and environment protection and sustainable development.

Prof. Zhang Yaping, Chairman of the Council (in the middle), Prof. Cao Jinghua, Vice Chairman of the Council (on the left), and Prof. Wen Anbang, Vice Chairman of the Council (on the right) of China attended the meeting

Academician Prof. Cui Peng made a report on the construction progress of CPJRC

Prof. Chen Xiaoqing introduced the plan of organization structure and personnel employment of CPJRC

Prof. Su Lijun introduced the work plan during the preparation period for establishment of CPJRC

Issuance of letters of appointment

On-site of the meeting