ESPRE convened the 2014 Annual Academic Committee Meeting on Dec. 11th at Room 915, Bloc. B of BNU S&T Building. The Meeting was chaired by Academician An Zhisheng, Director of the Committee. More than 50 participants attended the meeting, including such committee members as Academician Qin Dahe, Fu Bojie, Research Fellow Li Xiubin, and Professor Liu Baoyuan, Zhang Dayong and Shi Peijun, Song Changqing, Deputy Director of Geographical Dept. of National Natural Science Foundation, and Leng Shuying, Division Director of Geographical Division, and Division Director Lou Anru and Deputy Director Dai Jie of S&T Division of BNU.
Professor Shi Peijun, Director of ESPRE, first made a summary report on the past 5 years, which summarize the work of 2010-2014 in terms of research output, faculty building and education, academic cooperation and exchanges as well as future blueprint.. The Committee had in-depth discussion on the report. While fully recognizing the outstanding achievement of ESPRE in the past 5 years, experts also proposed some constructive revisions to the report.
Later, key researchers of ESPRE also made presentations on the phase outcomes. Including “National Quantitative Soil Erosion Atlas” by Professor Liu Baoyuan, “Monitoring of Multi-scale Surface Coverage Dynamics” by Professor Chen Jin, “Changes in Multi-scale Urban Land Use/coverage” by Professor He Chunyang, “Research on Eco and Hydrological Process and Ecosystem Service in Inner Mongolia Grassland” by Professor Li Xiaoyan, “Climate Change Attribution and Impact” by Professor Dong Wenjie, “Model and Simulation Study on Land-based Ecosystem Carbon Circulation” by Professor Yuan Wenping, and “Assessment Model and Defense Mode of Comprehensive Natural Disaster Risk” by Professor Wang Ming. The committee members listened to the report carefully and offered their opinions.
After reviewing the report, the committee members praised ESPRE for its remarkable progress in the past 5 years, and offered recommendation for improvement. They proposed more comprehensive and specific guidance on how to identify the position of ESPRE, how to intensify symbolic outcome and how to nurture talent that are highly relevant to ESPRE’s upcoming review in 2015. Professor Shi Peijun, Director of ESPRE, appreciate the experts for their recommendations, and noted that, ESPRE will follow these recommendations to made preparations for the upcoming evaluation by MOST and plan for the future.