Land degradation and desertification are significant global environmental challenges that have adverse impacts on people's lives worldwide, particularly those residing in arid regions. Researchers from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIEER) have been studying land degradation and desertification for an extended period, making notable progress in combating desertification theory. China has also made remarkable strides in combating desertification. NIEER aims to organize "Training Courses on Combating Desertification for Countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt," inviting renowned experts worldwide to address issues related to land degradation and desertification, providing training on sustainable land management and combating desertification, sharing relevant theories and successful experiences, and serving the needs of developing countries globally, particularly those severely affected by desertification.

The training course adopts a training model that combines classroom teaching, thematic lectures, academic exchanges, and field base investigations, enabling trainees to gain a profound understanding of the causes, processes, and evolutionary trends of land degradation and desertification issues. The course also uses examples from China and other countries to illustrate successful practices in combating desertification.

Scholars or officials with relevant disciplinary backgrounds are welcome to participate, and the specific arrangements are announced as follows.

I. Date and venue of the training course

7 August, 2025 to 22 August, 2025, Lanzhou

II. Planned Enrolment

The course is to invite scientists, officials, and policymakers from Central and West Asian countries along the Silk Road (such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Niger, Chad) and North African nations who are engaged in resource and environmental management in arid regions and desertification control. Candidates should be under the age of 40 and be proficient in English. The training course is planned to enroll 20 candidates, with a limit of 1-2 people per country.

III. Application and Admissions

  (i) Application method: The admission of campers is based on free application and recommendation by experts

  (ii) Applicants will be selected by the organizers and will be notified directly on June 20, 2025. Participants who are not notified by then will be considered unsuccessful and will not be notified further.

IV. Cost

(i) The Sponsor undertakes:

1. International Travel (round-trip economy class ticket)

2. Transportation expenses during activities in China (including airport transfers)

3. Accommodation costs during the event (according to the organizer's standard)

4. Full training fee and information fee

(ii) The applicant shall bear:

1. Domestic transportation costs

2. Passport and visa processing fees

3. Personal consumption and optional project expenses

V. Submission of materials

(i) Please submit the electronic version of the materials before 8 June, 2025.

(ii) Materials include.

  1. an electronic version of the "Desertification Control Training Course Application Information Form" (Annex 1)

  2. a scanned electronic copy of passport (passport should be valid until March 2026)

  3. Scanned copies of other supporting documents (e.g. published papers, letters of recommendation and various certificates, if any, not essential).

(iii) The documents accept email: chenhui@lzb.ac.cn, with the file name of the country + name of the participant

VI. Contact details

Contact Person: Dr.CHEN Hui  Dr.PANG Qiangqiang  

Email: chenhui@lzb.ac.cn  qqpang@lzb.ac.cn