Guangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSouth China Sea(SCS)held the 2023 Academic Committee Meeting and Academic Annual Conference
From May 12 to 15, 2024, the 2023 Academic Committee Meeting and Academic Annual Meeting of theGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCSwas successfully held.
Attendees included:Academician Jiao Nianzhi(Director of theLaboratory'sAcademicCommittee),Academician Chen Fahu(DeputyDirector), Academician Liu Congqiang, Academician Jian Zhimin, Academician Lin Jian (European Academy of Sciences), Researcher Li Tiegang, Professor Qi Shihua, Researcher Wei Gangjian, Professor Wang Yinghui, Professor Yu Kefu, Researcher Wang Sumin(Consultant of theAcademicCommittee).
Specially invited experts from relatedorganizations:Professor Wu Zhiqiang, Researcher Xu Xiangrong, Researcher Chen Lianguo.
AndLiang Enwei(Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee(CPC)and VicePresident of Guangxi University), Yao Zuofang(Member of the Standing CPC,Assistant to thePresident, Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Party Committee, and Director of the State-owned Assets and Laboratory Management Office), Shen Peihong(VicePresident of the University's Research Institute andDirector of the Research Platform Construction Management Office)and Wang Shaopeng(Director of the University's Party Committee Office and Principal's Office). More than 200 people, including laboratory members, graduate students, and undergraduate students, attended theconference.
At the opening ceremony, Liang Enwei,Member of the StandingCPCand Vice President of the University, delivered a welcome speech, extending his greetings to all the academicians, academic committee members, invited experts and leaders in attendance.Hereviewed the construction history of theGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCS, fully affirmed the remarkable progress madein scientific research, talent cultivation and other aspects.He highly praisedthe laboratory's outstanding contributions to discipline development and science popularization education, the important achievementsofecological restoration of coral reefs in the Beibu Gulf. He also commended the laboratory’s crucial role in the "Double First-Class" construction of Guangxi University.Heemphasized that as Guangxi University enters a new historical stage focused on the China-ASEAN strategy, the development ofMarine disciplines has become a top priority for the university.Laboratory's in-depth research in marine economy and South China Sea securityfieldswill greatly help the university in better shoulder its historical responsibilities and contemporary missions.Heexpressed sincere respect for the hard work of all laboratory staff and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the experts and scholars for their support and assistance.He expressed hope that the experts wouldgivevaluable criticisms and suggestions,so that laboratory colleagues staff could engage instudy, think and learn from them in depth, continuously optimize and improve the laboratory's construction, and better serve the school's development and national needs.At the opening ceremony, Jiao Nianzhi(academician of theCASand professor of Xiamen University),Chairman of theLaboratory'sAcademicCommittee, expressed his ongoing concern for the constructionand development ofTHEGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCS,and fully affirmed the laboratory's progress, especially the achievements in scientific research output and platform construction.He emphasized that the laboratory should seize the opportunities of the era and fully graspcoral reefstopic, focus on all aspects ofthat research fieldcomprehensively and thoroughly, and become a national leader-team for coral reef research.He hopes that all members of the laboratory would maintain determination, confidence, persistence and concentration, and believe that coral reef researchwoulddefinitely have a promising prospect.Academician Jiao Nianzhi also hopes that the universitycouldcontinue to increase its support for the laboratory, especially to increase the size of the research team and help the laboratory achieve greater progress in coral reef research. He believed that coral reef researchwouldsignificantly contribute to enhancingGuangxi University’scomprehensive strength and influence.
Professor Chen Fahu(academician of theCAS, and former director of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau ResearchCAS),DeputyDirector of theLaboratory'sAcademicCommittee,presided over thisacademic committee meeting.Professor Yu Kefu,Director of theLaboratory, presented the "2023 Annual Progress Report of theGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSouth China Sea".He reported on the laboratory's achievements andmajor problemsin 2023,covering aspects such as laboratory infrastructure construction, overalldistributionof scientific researchandmajor progress and existing challengesfor the year.
The attending experts and leaders conducted evaluations and discussedbased onProfessor Yu Kefu'sreporting.They unanimously highly recognized the laboratory’s uniqueness and innovation in the field of South China Sea coral reef research. Theypraised the achievementsoflaboratory members in coral reef research, such as theformation evolution and environmental change history, the relationship between coral reef ecological processes and global change, seawater environmental processes and source-sink mechanisms in coral reefwaters, as well as coral reef monitoring and restoration.The attending experts offered valuable suggestions on the future development-direction and goals of the laboratory. They encouraged that the laboratoryshouldcontinue to focus on its distinctive research direction—CoralReefastheresearch core, to drive the development of marine discipline. They also recommended that the laboratoryshouldactively engage ininternational cooperation andexchanges with a global perspective,to enhanceits academic influencein global coral reef research.Additionally,theyemphasizedthe importance of talent development and team building,andadvising the laboratory to actively recruit and cultivate high-level research talent and strengthen teamwith a more reasonable structure and complementary advantages.The attending experts offered valuable suggestions on the future development-direction and goals of the laboratory. They encouraged that the laboratoryshouldcontinue to focus on its distinctive research direction—CoralReefastheresearch core, to drive the development of marine discipline. They also recommended that the laboratoryshouldactively engage ininternational cooperation andexchanges with a global perspective,to enhanceits academic influencein global coral reef research.Additionally,theyemphasizedthe importance of talent development and team building,andadvising the laboratory to actively recruit and cultivate high-level research talent and strengthen teamwith a more reasonable structure and complementary advantages.
Yao Zuofang(Assistant to the Presidentand Director of the State-owned Assets and Laboratory Management Office), said thatGuangxi Universitywill continue to deepen its support and investment in the Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reef in the SCS, work with the Beibu Gulf region and even ASEAN countries to jointly build a large-scale research platform, and actively attract top domestic and international research talents through talent recruitment mechanisms.At the same time, the university will strive for policy support and financial support from the autonomous region’s government, actively seek close cooperation with first-class and international research institutions,in order to jointly promote coral reef scientific researchof ourcountry, better serve the major strategic needs to build China into a strong maritime countryandrespond to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s expectations for Guangxi to“Seeking national prosperity and strength from the ocean”
The annual academic conference also carefully planned a " Face-to-Face with Experts". Collegefacultyand students present actively participated focused on research challenges, industry prospects, academic advancement and raised their questions. Experts and scholars patiently and meticulously answered all questions, offering not only professional guidance but also a special ideological and political education and a vivid professional course. They encouraged the teachers and students to cultivate patriotism, inherit scientific spirit, be brave in innovation and strive diligently. They expressed hope that young students could contribute their youthful strength to the vigorous development of coral reef and marine disciplines, and work together to advance this field.This segment not only deepened the teachers' and students' understanding of professional knowledge, but also inspired their enthusiasm and confidence to engage in scientific research.
From May 12 to 14, Academician Chen Fahu, Deputy Director of the Academic Committee, and some participating experts visited Beihai and Weizhou Island to inspectthelaboratory's coastal baseand thecoralreefecologicalrestoration area.
Zhang Shi, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of Weizhou Island Tourism Area, briefed Academician Chen Fahui andother expertson the progress and plans of cooperation with the laboratory.Huang Wen, Director of theCoral Reef Museum on Weizhou island of theSchool of Marine Sciences at Guangxi University,and Huang Aiguo, Executive Deputy Director, introduced the construction of theCoral Reef Museumand scientific research and popular science work.Dr. Huang Wen gave an in-depth introduction to the achievements of the faculty and students of theSchool of Marine Sciences at Guangxi Universityin coral reef ecological restoration on Weizhou Island, including ecological monitoring, construction and maintenance, ecological restoration and restoration area construction and maintenance of coral reefs in Weizhou Island surrounding water.Academician Chen Fahu andother expertshighly commended the importance of theCoral Reef Museum on Weizhou islandand the coral reef ecological restoration area.They noted thatit is not only a key scientific research base oftheSchool of Marine Sciences,but also an important position forGuangxi Universityto disseminate marine science knowledge and science popularization.They emphasized that these efforts have profound significance for the protection, research, and ecological restoration of coral reefs in China.
Academician Chen Fahu andother expertsalso inspected the geological and geomorphological landscape of Weizhou Island’s coral reefs, and made an in-depth analysis of the formation causes of the beach rocks on Weizhou Island and the paleo-climate andenvironmental information coral reef recorded; visitedGuangxi University SSI Diving Centeand gained a detailed understanding of the center's role in coral reef scientific research and teaching.Academician Chen Fahu also put on a diving suit and equipment and went into the personally went underwater to inspect the coral breeding base and coral reef ecological restoration nursery on Weizhou Island. He witnessed the remarkable achievements of the laboratory in coral reef ecological restoration.
During the meeting, experts and leaders visited theMarine Science and Education Museum andIsland and Reef Ecological Restoration Laboratoryof Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reef in the SCS.
Attendeesincluded:
Academician Jiao Nianzhi(Director of theLaboratory'sAcademicCommittee),Academician of the CAS and Deputy Director ofState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science of Xiamen University
Academician Chen Fahu(Deputy Director),Academician of theCAS, and former director of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau ResearchCAS
Member of the laboratory's academic committee:
Academician Liu Congqiang,Academician of theCAS and Dean of Institute of Surface-Earth System Science College
Academician Jian Zhimin, Dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences of Tongji University
Li Tiegang, Researcher, Director of the First Institute of Oceanography,MNR
Academician Lin Jian,European Academy of Sciences, AIOR Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen Ocean University Preparatory Director
Professor Qi Shihua,China University of Geosciences
Researcher Wei Gangjian, Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry,Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistryof CAS
Professor Wang Yinghui, Head of Technical Brokerage Department of Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology and theSchool of Marine Sciences at Guangxi University
Researcher Wang Sumin(Consultant of theAcademicCommittee), Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Professor Yu Kefu, DeanoftheSchool of Marine Sciences at Guangxi University
Professor Wu Zhiqiang,Deputy Secretary of theParty Committee ofGuilin University of Technology
Researcher Xu Xiangrong,the South China Sea Institute of OceanologyCAS
Researcher Chen Lianguo.Institute of HydrobiologyCAS
And
Liang Enwei, Member of the Standing CPCand VicePresident of Guangxi University
Yao Zuofang, Member of the Standing CPC,Assistant to thePresident, Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Party Committeeof Guangxi University, and Director of the State-owned Assets and Laboratory Management Office
Wang Shaopeng, Director of theGuangxiUniversity's Party Committee Office and Principal's Office
Shen Peihong, ViceDeanof theGuangxiUniversity's Research Institute andDirector of the Research Platform Construction Management Office
Qin Huadong, Secretary of Party Committee ofSchool of Marine Sciences at Guangxi University, etc.
(First review and proofreadingby: Zhou Jian; Second review and proofreadingby: Huang Rongyong; Third review and proofreadingby: Yu Kefu; Photosby: Hu Ange, Zhou Jian)
Opening Ceremony of the2023 Academic Committee Annual ConferenceofGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCS
Group photo of the academic committee members, attending experts and leaders, and laboratory faculty and students
Liang Enwei,Member of the Standing CPCand VicePresident of Guangxi University, delivered the welcome speech.
Professor Yu Kefu,Director of the laboratory, reportedon laboratoryprogress
Key Laboratory Annual Meeting Seminar
Yao Zuofang made asummary remark
Expertsandfaculty and students engaged in discussionsface to face
Visit toGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCS
Academician Chen Fahu divedto inspect coral reef ecological restoration nurseryunderwater-base of theGuangxi Laboratoryon the Study ofCoral Reef in theSCS
Visit theCoral Reef Museum on Wezhou islandof theSchool of Marine Sciencesat Guangxi University
Inspection of the coral reef beach sediments andbeach rock landscapes primarily formed by coral reef sediments on Weizhou Island
Investigate the volcanic geology and ecological distributiononWeizhou Island
