By Li Han

Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center

An inaugural ceremony to mark the opening of the Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University (IGCS) was held at Tsinghua on January 18th. University President Gu Binglin, Chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee of the IGCS, Former Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua, Member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the IGCS and Vice Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Ding Zhongli, and Mr. Guo Xiangyuan from the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly inaugurated the new Institute.

In order to further promote global change related research, Tsinghua integrated research resources from Departments of Computer Science, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Nuclear Energy as well as the Center for Earth System Science to form the Institute for Global Change Studies. In the short term, the institute will concentrate its research on earth system observation and modeling, and economical research problems related to global change.

President Gu extended congratulations to the founders of the IGCS. He noted that its establishment would further promote Tsinghua's research in global change and the development of related disciplines. He expressed the hope that the Institute could build itself into a world-level research center and contribute to global change research and social development in China.

The IGCS has invited 22 eminent specialists in geoscience to form its Scientific Steering Committee. The International Forum on Global Change Studies was also held at Tsinghua University on January 18th.

(Photo by Guo Haijun)