Professor CHEN Xi, director of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), invited by Dr. NGAMIJE Jean, rector of Independent Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali (INILAK), led a delegation of XIEG visited Rwanda during the period of June 1-7, 2012.

The delegation of XIEG investigated the local ecosystems, including hills, farmlands, lakes and virgin forests. They also visited the three campuses of INILAK and their teaching and researching equipments. Researchers from INILAK introduced their teaching and scientific research status in the aspects of rural development, and economy and information management. Prof. CHEN Xi introduced the personnel composition, study orientation, research fields and scientific research equipment of XIEG. Moreover, Prof. LI LanHai introduced the Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Water Utilization in Arid Area and its research progress.

During the period, XIEG and INILAK conducted academic exchanges in the fields of natural disaster monitoring, ecosystem and environment management, information network and future sustainable development. At the same time, XIEG and INILAK agreed to work together to establish the “East Africa Natural Resources and Environment Research Center”. The center aims to promote the cooperative researches and academic exchanges of resources and environmental science in East Africa, jointly carry out the study on environmental sustainability and global climate change, and improve the research capacity of ecology and environmental science in East Africa.

Moreover, XIEG intended to help INILAK to establish the master’s degree program in environmental science, cultivate PhD and master students for INILAK, and provide support on teaching and scientific research in the fields of environment, information system management and rural development.