From August 10 to 23, 2025, seven undergraduates from the inaugural Academician Liu Baojun’s Elite Class at CDUT’s Institute of Sedimentary Geology took part in a 14-day international geological field excursion in Australia. The program was jointly led by Wang Xia, Associate Research Fellow from CDUT, and Chang Xiaolin, Associate Professor from CDUT, together with Professor Annette George, Dean of the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Western Australia (UWA), and Senior Lecturer Dr. Moyra Wilson. The fieldwork served not only as an internationalized teaching initiative in sedimentary geology but also as a significant step forward in advancing global geological talent development and the digital construction of world-class geological outcrops.
The Team at Redcliffe
The Team at Pinnacles
Pioneering a New Model for Global Geological Talent Training
By combining fieldwork in sedimentary geology with international collaboration, this program marked CDUT’s very first undergraduate field training experience conducted abroad.
Starting from Perth, the capital of Western Australia, the team carried out systematic investigations at eight key geological sites, including Kalbarri National Park and Shark Bay, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
The team at Coalseam Conservation Park (Perth Basin)
Strengthening Ties with the UWA
Jointly organized by CDUT and UWA, the program fostered closer collaboration between the two institutions in both teaching and research. As a member of Australia’s prestigious “Group of Eight” universities, UWA is globally recognized in the earth sciences. Leveraging its unique geographical resources and research platforms, UWA provided robust support for the fieldwork.
The CDUT team was invited to tour UWA’s teaching, laboratory, and outreach facilities, and engaged in academic exchanges with Research Fellow Matthew Dodd and Dr. Aleksey Sadekov. Professor Annette George and Senior Lecturer Moyra Wilson provided hands-on field instruction, delivering systematic, in-depth training on modern marine sedimentary environments and the sedimentary systems of the Perth Basin.
This international field program in Australia represents a vital experiment in CDUT’s “international cooperation + professional practice + digital innovation” training model. It has further advanced our “Double First-Class” initiative and broadened its international impact. Looking ahead, CDUT plans to expand its global partnership network, organize additional international field programs, and continue building a world-class undergraduate training system in geology with strong global competitiveness. With a deep-time perspective and a global vision, CDUT students are ready to connect with the future of earth sciences worldwide.
The Team at Nature’s Window
