On the afternoon of October 24, the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the International Association for Palaeogeography (IAP) and Chengdu University of Technology (CDUT) was held in the International Academic Lecture Hall of CDUT. Attending the ceremony were Academician Wang Chengshan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician Tang Juxing of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Yang Pinhua, First-Class Inspector of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Dr. Christian Vérard, Vice President of the IAP, and Vice President Hou Mingcai, Member of the Standing Committee of the CDUT Party Committee, along with other distinguished guests and university leaders.
Group photo from the MOU signing ceremony
On behalf of the university, Vice President Hou Mingcai delivered a speech. He stated that this collaboration marks an important milestone in CDUT’s internationalization efforts and represents a new stage in the university’s palaeogeographic research. CDUT will fully support the establishment and operation of the IAP Secretariat on campus, jointly build a global center for palaeogeographic research and data sharing, and promote international cooperation and innovative development in Earth System Science.
Hou Mingcai delivering his address
Yang Pinhua, speaking on behalf of the Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, extended his congratulations on the signing of the MOU. He noted that Sichuan is accelerating scientific and technological innovation and international collaboration, and expressed his hope that the establishment of the IAP headquarters in Sichuan would make a significant contribution to the advancement of global Earth sciences.
Yang Pinhua delivering his speech
In his remarks, Dr. Christian Vérard highlighted CDUT’s strong academic foundation in Earth sciences. He said that the IAP will join hands with CDUT to build a world-class research and data-sharing platform, ushering in a new era of “knowledge- and data-driven palaeogeography.”
Dr. Christian Vérard delivering his speech
Following the speeches, Hou Mingcai and Christian Vérard jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The two representatives exchanged documents and shook hands, as attending leaders and guests took a group photo to commemorate this historic moment.
Hou Mingcai and Christian Vérard signing the MOU
The International Association for Palaeogeography (IAP) is a leading global academic organization dedicated to promoting the advancement and international collaboration of palaeogeography. Over the past forty years, the Institute of Sedimentary Geology at CDUT has achieved significant accomplishments in areas such as deep-time palaeogeographic reconstruction, Earth environmental evolution, and mineral resource studies. The Institute has received numerous national honors, including one First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, one Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award, and three Second Prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, with many research findings published in top international journals such as Nature and Science.
The signing of this MOU signifies that the Secretariat of the IAP is planned to be established at CDUT, marking a major step forward in the collaboration between the two parties in the field of palaeogeography. It will not only greatly advance global palaeogeographic research but also provide a solid platform for Sichuan Province to play a more significant role in the global development of Earth sciences.
