New bilateral agreements with Chinese institutions
The first agreement was signed with the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (CAA) at the headquarters of the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, in the presence of the Minister and the Vice President of the CNR, Francesco Svelto. The fact that it was signed outside the plenary session testifies to the highly strategic nature of this agreement, which covers key areas such as sea ice modelling, polar biotechnology, the study of extreme ecosystems and contaminants, scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, and the shared use of research infrastructure.
During the inaugural plenary session of China–Italy Week, three other agreements were signed:
- with the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), focusing on glaciology, geophysics, polar ecology, oceanography in extreme conditions, remote sensing of the cryosphere, glacial platform dynamics and subglacial processes;
- with the Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO) of the Ministry of Natural Resources, which strengthens cooperation on ocean dynamics, numerical modelling, remote sensing, marine geosciences, biogeochemical cycles and polar biotechnologies, with a strong link to the initiatives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science;
- with the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL) at Xiamen University, one of China’s leading centres for the study of marine and climate ecosystems. The agreement extends the collaboration to joint projects, researcher exchanges, training programmes, public engagement activities and advanced studies in oceanography, paleoceanography, biogeochemistry and marine biodiversity.
Hangzhou session: CNR contributions and Italian scientific presence
The second day of the Week, hosted in Hangzhou, was dedicated to cultural heritage conservation, marine and polar sciences, biodiversity, climate change and tropical agriculture.
In his speech, Director Francesco Petracchini illustrated the CNR’s contribution to understanding the global processes that regulate the planet and the role of scientific diplomacy in building stable, long-term partnerships. He highlighted the importance of Italian infrastructure — such as the oceanographic vessel Gaia Blu — and national and international programmes dedicated to the Arctic and Antarctic.
The Director of IRBIM, Gian Marco Luna, also spoke at the same session, with a report entitled ‘Frontiers and challenges of marine biological research in the 21st century’. His speech highlighted the profound changes taking place in marine biological research, driven by the urgent need to understand the impacts of climate change, monitor biodiversity loss, develop new observation technologies and support more sustainable management of coastal and offshore ecosystems. Luna emphasised that international cooperation is an essential driver for advancing knowledge of the oceans and addressing global challenges.
The contribution of ISMAR researchers and the key role of the partnership with Xiamen University
The Italian delegation was further strengthened by the active participation of researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR), who have been engaged in a solid scientific partnership with Xiamen University for many years. Researchers Chunxue Yang, Andrea Pisano, Daniele Ciani, Gian Luigi Liberti and Andrea Storto have made a decisive contribution to the development of joint activities in ocean modelling, physical oceanography, the study of marine circulation, ocean-atmosphere interactions and global climate processes.
Thanks to these signatures, DSSTTA is preparing for a future of increasingly structured cooperation, where the sharing of knowledge, infrastructure and expertise will translate into advanced scientific results and new opportunities for Italian researchers and institutes. This is an important step towards open, collaborative science geared towards the challenges of tomorrow.
