According to the memorandum of understanding signed between National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) during the board meeting in Kunming, a bilateral workshop on NSFC-ICIMOD Strategic Cooperation was held in Chengdu from 31 March to 1 April, 2016. The workshop marked a ground breaking collaboration between China and ICIMOD with the outcome to provide substantial funding support on mountain research of the HKH region. The NSFC provides funding opportunities for scientific researches to Chinese scientists in a competitive basis and regarded highly prestigious in China.  

Bilateral Workshop on NSFC- ICIMOD Strategic Cooperation(by IMHE)

Prof. Liu Congqiang, Vice President of NSFC, stated that the workshop provided a key platform to forge long-term strategic cooperation in identifying matching interests between NSFC and ICIMOD research areas in strengthening multi-national cooperation. The NSFC funding scheme is a mechanism to support interdisciplinary and integrated research and such funding will be available from the year 2016 onwards.  

More than 30 renowned Chinese scientists and scholars representing various academic and research institutions in China, presented different topics related to sustainable development of the HKH region - a priority of THE BELT AND ROAD of China.  

David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, expressed his thanks and appreciations to NSFC and said the workshop was a milestone marking a new beginning of China-ICIMOD cooperation. Scientific research is an important ingredient in supporting evidence-based policy and practice. Research opportunities will provide avenues to inject new ideas and to integrate knowledge for sustainable mountain development. 

This workshop was hosted by NSFC and organized by the China-International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (CNICIMOD). CNICIMOD is considered as a bridge to connect ICIMOD with Chinese scientists. This workshop will be a milestone that NSFC–ICIMOD cooperation is officially started.NSFC will promote China’s  mountain science researches in HKH regions step by step, based on this important and unreplaceable international platform- ICIMOD.