The inauguration ceremony for the Russian Branch of the International Research Center for China-Mongolia-Russia Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering (IRC-CMR-CAREE) (hereinafter referred to as the Russian Branch) was held in in Yakutsk, Russia on September 25, 2024 . 

The event was attended by a delegation of Chinese scientists from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), including Prof. Li Guoyu, WEN Zhi, Associate Prof. CHEN Dun, and ZHU Xiaofan. 

Researchers from the Mongolian side, led by Director Saruulzaya Adiya and Associate Researcher Sandag Enkh-Amgalan of the Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS), also participated. 

On the Russian side, the delegation included prominent scientists from the Melnikov Permafrost Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), including Academician Mikhail Zhelezniak, Prof. Alexander Fedorov, and Associate Prof. Artem Naberezhnyi.

The event involved academic exchanges and discussions on future cooperation among scientists from the three countries, including project collaboration, talent exchange and other mutual interests.

Academician Mikhail Zhelezniak, the director of the Russian Branch, warmly welcomed participants from China and Mongolia, praised the establishment of the Russian Branch, and provided an overview of its background and objectives. 

Prof. LI Guoyu, director of the IRC-CMR-CAREE, elaborated on its strategic planning, research scopes, and cooperation framework. This event was followed by an in-depth discussion among scientists from the three countries on future plans and the official opening of the Russian Branch.

The IRC-CMR-CAREE was approved by the International Cooperation Bureau of CAS on September 18, 2023 and established under the auspices of NIEER in collaboration with the Melnikov Permafrost Institute, RAS and the Institute of Geography and Geoecology, MAS. 

The International Research Center focuses on cryosphere changes in China, Mongolia and Russia, as well as its impacts of hydrological disasters, environmental assessments, permafrost-related construction, desertification control, and ecological governance.

The Russian Branch was built upon the earlier opening of the IRC-CMR-CAREE held in Lanzhou, China, on May 18, 2024, where representatives from China, Mongolia, and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding. 

This event represents a significant advancement in further development and lays the foundation for future collaboration among the three countries.

Introduction of the IRC-CMR-CAREE by Prof. LI Guoyu

Presentation during academic exchange by Prof. WEN Zhi

Opening of the Russian Branch by China-Mongolia-Russia Tripartite Representatives