Visit of Chinese geologists to ZRC SAZU

Last week, a six-member delegation from the China Geological Survey (CGS), led by Vice President Prof. Niu Zhijun, paid a short visit to ZRC SAZU. The visit took place in the very year when one of ZRC SAZU's institutes, the Karst Research Institute, is marking nearly thirty years of successful collaboration with Chinese partners. Three decades are undoubtedly an important milestone and, at the same time, an opportunity to further strengthen scientific exchange in new fields, the participants of the meeting agreed. 

The Chinese delegation highlighted that partnership in the field of karst research is one of the leading projects of Slovenian geoscience, and expressed their willingness to further develop the Joint Laboratory into an open-collaboration model for Central and Eastern European countries. In their discussions, they emphasised potential joint research themes such as the impacts of climate change, measures to protect water resources and ecological systems, comparative studies between the Alps and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and the development of data collections. Both sides also expressed their willingness to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation.

As part of the field portion of their visit, they also explored the Classical Karst and the joint monitoring station in the Javornik Hills (part of the Dinaric Alps). In the freshly snow-covered forests, they were also greeted by Slovenian bears – albeit only in the form of fresh footprints they had left behind.

Photos by Manca Juvan Hessabi/ZRC SAZU