On Aug. 13, 2008, Prof. Sun Honglie, member of the National 973 Program advisory team, and delegates from the Ministry of Science and Technology, P.R.C held a seminar with scientists involved in the Tibetan Plateau related 973 Program at the ITP’s Beijing campus. The visiting group hoped through this seminar to highlight new scientific endeavors in the Tibetan Plateau study that better serve the national goals, and prepare for the approval and initiation of the 973 Programs in the Twelfth five-year plan.

ITP professors reported on their accomplishments in the program, and shared their thoughts on further work to be done. Prof. Sun pointed out the importance of ecological preservation on the Tibetan Plateau, as the security of the ecology plays important roles in climate regulation, water conservation, water and soil preservation, biodiversity protection, and as a carbon sink. Thus, he suggested more scientific issues of concern in the continuing research effort. Prof. Yao Tandong, executive PI of the 973 Program affirmed Prof. Sun’s opinion, proposing the study of Plateau’s ecological security from these three aspects: 1) the influence of ecology on the regional environment, 2) interactions between the Plateau ecology and global changes, and 3) an assessment of the role of ecological changes on the climate of the future.