The Joint Research Center on Natural Resources and Environment in East Africa was put into full operation in Kigali, Rwanda on Oct. 24, with a batch of equipment donated from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) installed and enabled in the lab of the Center.

The Center, jointly built by Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and UNILAK last year, was a fruit of the cooperation between the two sides.

Cooperation between XIEG and UNILAK dates back to 2011. The two sides signed a memorandum of cooperation the following year. The last six years have seen continuous personnel exchange, talent cultivation, technical training workshops, as well as academic conferences.

UNILAK began to open Master courses on “Environment and Development Research” with the help of XIEG. Steady cooperation between the two sides eventually led to the founding of The Joint Research Center on Natural Resources and Environment in East Africa.

XIEG donated 42 pieces of equipment this time, to be applied in three labs of the Center on water environment, soil environment, and geographic information system, according to LEI Jiaqiang, director of XIEG.