At a gathering in Beijing, China, on July 20, 2006, US and Chinese scientists signed an agreement (a PDF file) establishing the framework for the China-US Joint Research Center for Ecosystem and Environmental Change.
The goals of the Center are to
- organize and implement international scientific and engineering research;
- serve as a center for scientific information exchange; and
- provide international education and technical training.
Cooperative mechanisms to achieve these goals include joint research projects, academic exchange, student education, and technical transfer and training.
In its initial phase, which extends from October 2006 to September 2011, the JRCEEC will focus on research related to four themes: ecosystem processes and management, environmental sustainability of bioenergy production, ecological foundations of water resources and quality, and technologies for improvement of eco-environmental systems.
