The 7th International Conference on Environment, Energy and Development Held in Kigali

From October 21 to 26, the 7th International Conference on Environment, Energy and Development (ICEED 2026) was held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The conference was jointly organized by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XIEG), the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), and the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SAJOREC).

The event aimed to build an interdisciplinary China-Africa exchange platform and share cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions for climate change and ecological challenges.

The conference officially opened on October 22. Experts, scholars and government officials from China, Rwanda and other African countries held in-depth discussions on the theme Resilient Earth: Water, Ecosystems, Energy and Sustainable Development.

At the opening ceremony, representatives from both China and Rwanda delivered speeches on deepening research cooperation and addressing climate challenges. Both sides agreed that stronger scientific cooperation and technology transfer would effectively enhance the capacity to address global ecological challenges. DUAN Weili, Deputy Director of XIEG, reviewed the history of ICEED. He noted that since its launch in 2013, the conference has grown into an important venue for dialogue among Chinese and African researchers.

As a key institutional outcome of the conference, UNILAK, XIEG and SAJOREC renewed their tripartite cooperation agreement for 2027-2031. The agreement specifies that the three parties will continue their efforts in joint research, scholarship support and personnel exchange, laying a solid foundation for long-term China-Africa scientific and technological cooperation.

On October 23, the Chinese delegation conducted a series of exchange activities at UNILAK. The delegation held in-depth discussions with Rwandan doctoral and master's graduates trained by XIEG, learning in detail about their research progress and career development after returning home. The activity further consolidated the alumni network for China-Rwanda science and technology talent training.

The delegation visited the joint laboratory and science and technology platforms, including the " SAJOREC Rwanda Office" and the "Joint Research Center for Natural Resources and Environment in East Africa." They learned about the platforms' progress in supporting local research and ecological and environmental governance.

Going forward, these platforms and alumni networks willrespond to the key needs in natural resources and environment sectors of Rwanda and China, deepen joint research and talent training, promote the implementation and application of China-Africa scientific and technological achievements, injecting new momentum into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.

The opening ceremony of the ICEED 2026. (Image by the Conference Organizing Committee)

Signing ceremony of the tripartite cooperation agreement among XIEG, UNILAK and SAJOREC. (Image by the Conference Organizing Committee)

Group photo of the Chinese delegation and Rwandan XIEG-trained graduates. (Image by XIEG)

Contact

HUANG Zhuanli

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

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

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