Arid Land Resources and Environment Cooperative Research in Central Asia

　　Cooperative organization: Academies of Sciences in Central Asia

　　Project period: 2008

　　Main results:

　　Two symposiums, Symposium on Cooperation between National Research Institutes of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the International Symposium on Arid Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Central Asia, were held. Declaration is reached after two symposiums. Cooperation mechanism of academies of sciences in Central Asia under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization framework was established and problems such as priority research fields and mode and recent potential key fields are determined. It is also discussed in the conference that how academies of developed countries help to improve scientific research level of Central Asia. Directors of academies of sciences or institutes in Central Asia separately signed memorandum of international science and technology cooperation with China in the common interest fields, which indicates that the cooperation between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and academies of Central Asia steps into a substantial stage. The execution of the project continues and rebuilds the relationship of China and Central Asian countries, strengthens the existing cooperation and exploits new partners – related institutes of Tajikistan Academy of Sciences and Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and broader research fields. The conference held during the project not only forms a platform for academic exchanges of ecological environment research in Central Asia between scholars and researchers, but also promotes and strengthens exchanges and cooperation in science and technology between the Chinese Academy of Sciences or even Xinjiang and surrounding countries.

　　The Declaration points out priority research fields and modes and recent potential key fields, and establishes a mechanism and platform of regional cooperation in science and technology in Central Asia under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization framework. Symposium on Cooperation between National Research Institutes of Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held in the middle of July, 2009 in Novosibirsk. A cooperation agreement was signed.