The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (hereinafter referred to as XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was established on July 7, 1998, by merging Xinjiang Institute of Biology, Pedology and Desert Research (established in 1961) and Xinjiang Institute of Geography (established in 1965) of the CAS.
XIEG is oriented towards the international frontiers in the field of arid zone ecology and environment, towards the major needs of China’s construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt, and towards the overall goal of Xinjiang’s long-term peace and stability. To this end, XIEG innovates the theoretical and methodological systems of arid zone science, and conducts research on major issues of natural resource development, ecological restoration, environmental management, biodiversity conservation and regional sustainable development of arid zones, playing an irreplaceable leading role in the field of ecology and environment of arid zones in central Asia.
XIEG has established the State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology (Key Laboratory of Ecological Security and Sustainable Development of Arid Zones), the National Engineering Technology Research Center for Desert-Oasis Ecological Construction, the CAS Xinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, the CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, as well as other research units within the institute such as the Xinjiang Tourism Academy and the Research Center for Green Development of Silk Road. XIEG has established 12 field observation and research stations in China (3 of which are state-level stations), 19 international joint field observation and research stations in Central Asia, Iran and Mongolia, as well as supporting platforms such as the regional center for large-scale instruments, the center of documentation and information, and the Xinjiang Nature Museum. XIEG has also founded the “Belt and Road” Association for Combating Desertification of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO-ACD), the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance for Arid Lands (BCAA) with relevant foreign institutions, the Sino-American Center for International Arid Land Ecology, the Sino-Japan Center for Arid Land Ecology, the Sino-Belgium Joint Laboratory for Geo-information, the East African Center for Natural Resources and Environment, the Pan-African Great Green Wall Research Center, and the Sino-German Joint Research Center for the Management of Ecosystems and Environmental Changes in Arid Lands, etc.
As a characteristic “four-type research institute”, XIEG has completed the 13th Five-Year Plan, with the 14th Five-Year Plan in the process of implementation: constructing the “National Key Laboratory of Ecological Security and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands” jointly with the CAS Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources; steadily advancing the big data platform project of the Third Comprehensive Scientific Expedition in Xinjiang; making substantial progress in the construction of the arid zone germplasm resource bank; and adding the “Ili-Turpan National Botanical Garden” to China’s botanical garden planning and construction.
By the end of 2022, XIEG has a total of 539 employees, including 360 employed in positions, 68 employed in projects (52 special research assistants and postdocs included), and 111 guest and visiting scholars.
As one of the units authorized by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council to confer doctoral and master’s degrees in 1983, XIEG now hosts three doctoral degree programs in the first-level disciplines of Geography, Ecology, and Geological Resources and Geological Engineering; six doctoral degree programs in the second-level disciplines of Physical Geography, Human Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information System, Botany, Ecology, and Geophysical Prospecting and Information Technology; and ten specialized master’s degree programs in Physical Geography, Human Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information System, Botany, Ecology, Environmental Science, Earth Exploration and Information Technology, Resources and Environment, Biology and Medicine, and Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control. XIEG is home to three postdoctoral research stations, namely, the Geography Station, the Ecology Station and the Biology Station. As of the end of 2022, XIEG has 461 enrolled students, including 186 doctoral students, 210 master’s students and 65 international students.
In 2022, a total of five disciplines of the XIEG, namely Earth Science, Environment and Ecology, Plant and Animal Science, Agricultural Science, and Engineering, entered the top 1% of ESI globally. It is also the first time for the Engineering discipline to enter.
Rooted in Xinjiang for more than 60 years, XIEG has carried out in-depth and long-term scientific experiments, expeditions and location studies focusing on key scientific and technological issues of Xinjiang’s economic and social development. Having undertaken more than 3,000 projects, accumulated rich scientific information, and achieved fruitful scientific research results, XIEG won nearly 400 awards at international, state, provincial and ministerial levels, supported Xinjiang’s economic and social development, and helped farmers and herdsmen of all ethnic groups to realize poverty alleviation and enrichment through scientific and technological means.
As Xinjiang is adjacent to eight neighboring countries, XIEG has always attached great importance to international cooperation during its over 60 years of development. In recent years, especially since the implementation of the “Belt and Road” initiative, XIEG’s international cooperation and exchanges have witnessed rapid development: cooperation transformed from general to substantive; exchanges transformed from decentralized to integrated; participation transformed to leadership roles in large-scale international collaborating projects. This boosted the cultivation of talents, improved scientific research and innovation capabilities, helped improve people’s livelihoods in neighboring countries, and enhanced XIEG’s visibility and impact worldwide.