XIEG Co-Hosts China-Belgium Academic Forum 2026 Seminar

On September 11, the “China Partners Academic Forum 2026 Seminar 3: Ecosystem and Environmental Research in the AI Era” was held at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in China. The seminar was jointly hosted by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XIEG), Ghent University of Belgium, and Qufu Normal University.

At the opening ceremony, Prof. Alishir Kurban of XIEG delivered opening remarks. Attendees reviewed the long-standing foundation of exchanges and cooperation between Ghent University and its Chinese partners and expressed positive expectations for further deepening China-Belgium cooperation in science, technology, and education.

Experts and scholars from seven institutions across China and Belgium attended the event online and offline, exchanging views on AI applications in ecosystem and environmental research and demonstrating the broad prospects of integrating AI with geography, ecology, and environmental science through multidisciplinary and multi-scale exchanges.

That same evening, a celebratory event was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the East Asia Platform of Ghent University. Prof. Alishir Kurban shared the development history of the “Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geoinformation” and the cooperation achievements made by both sides in joint research, academic exchanges, and talent training, building consensus for deeper cooperation.

Prof. ZHANG Yuanming, Director of XIEG, attended the event and delivered a closing speech. He praised the long-term China-Belgium cooperation and expressed hope that this seminar would help leverage both sides’ strengths in geoinformation, ecology and environment, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence. Relying on platforms such as the “Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geoinformation” and the East Asia Platform at Ghent University, both sides should deepen joint research, share data and resources, and build a more stable, open, and sustainable cooperation framework.

This seminar represents an important practice by XIEG in deepening scientific and technological cooperation with Europe and expanding its high-level international academic exchange network. It is also a valuable attempt by China and Belgium to jointly explore new paradigms for AI-empowered ecosystem and environmental research. The seminar further consolidates XIEG’s long-term cooperative foundation with partners such as Ghent University and lays a solid foundation for more in-depth and pragmatic international cooperation in addressing global environmental change challenges.

Group photo of the seminar. (Image by the Organizing Committee)

Prof. Alishir Kurban giving a presentation. (Image by the Organizing Committee)

Director ZHANG Yuanming delivering remarks. (Image by the Organizing Committee)

Contact

HUANG

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: zlhuang@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn