Belgian Delegation Visits XIEG to Advance Cooperation in Desert Ecology and Geo-Information Science
2026-06-23
A Belgian delegation led by Prof. Philippe De Maeyer of Ghent University visited the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XIEG, CAS) from May 18 to 24, 2026.
From May 18 to 21, several members of the delegation conducted field surveys in Hotan Prefecture, with a focus on the Cele National Field Research Station for Desert Steppe Ecosystems and the ecological restoration projects along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. They visited observation sites for wind-sand flow monitoring and sand-control demonstration areas in Yutian County, learned about the Taklimakan Desert Edge-locking Project, and exchanged with XIEG researchers the interactions among river systems, photovoltaic facilities, and wind-sand activities in desert margins.
The field trip gave the Belgian experts first-hand insights into China’s scientific and engineering approaches to combating desertification and improving ecological security in arid regions.
The delegation conducted field surveys in the Taklimakan Desert. (Image by XIEG)
On May 22, the delegation attended the 10th Anniversary Conference of the Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geo-Information held in Urumqi. Over the past decade, the Joint Laboratory has promoted high-level academic exchange and generated a series of research findings in geo-information science, climate change, sustainable development, and cultural heritage studies.
The conference was co-organized by XIEG, Ghent University, and Qufu Normal University and attracted more than 70 scholars from China, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Iran, and Pakistan.
At the opening ceremony, Dr. WANG Meng, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Office of XIEG, delivered a welcome address on behalf of Prof. ZHANG Yuanming, Director of XIEG. Prof. Isabel Van Driessche, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Ghent University, delivered a congratulatory speech. She highlighted that the Joint Laboratory has become an important platform for China-Belgium scientific cooperation and expressed her expectation that the two sides will further expand joint research, student training, and international collaboration in response to global sustainability challenges.
The conference featured keynote presentations on geo-information, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, environmental monitoring, and land degradation assessment.
During the conference, Belgian experts also participated in the doctoral defense evaluation of four PhD candidates jointly trained by XIEG and Ghent University. The candidates were subsequently awarded double doctoral degrees from Ghent University and UCAS.
The delegation attended the 10th Anniversary Conference of the Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geo-Information. (Image by XIEG)
From May 23 to 24, the delegation continued field excursion at the Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden, CAS, and the Fukang National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Desert Ecosystems, and exchanged views separately on the sustainable use of desert plant resources and potential cooperation in desert biodiversity conservation, as well as mountain ecosystems’ responses to climate change and possible cross-regional ecological monitoring collaboration.
The delegation conducted field surveys at the Turpan Eremophytes Botanical Garden. (Image by XIEG)
The visit deepened mutual understanding between Chinese and Belgian researchers and laid a stronger research foundation for future collaboration in desertification control, ecological monitoring, geo-information applications, and sustainable development. It also demonstrated the role of long-term international cooperation in addressing environmental challenges in arid and semi-arid regions. Both sides expressed their willingness to build on the achievements of the past decade and to further develop the Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geo-Information as a high-quality platform for international collaboration.
Contact
Alishir Kurban
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
E-mail: alishir@ms.xjb.ac.cn