China

A high-level delegation from Nanjing University (NJU), led by Professor Tan Zhemin, President of NJU and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, visited IIASA to discuss opportunities for strengthening scientific cooperation and advancing joint research on global challenges.

Building on its engagement at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh, IIASA contributed to a series of events and bilateral discussions at UNCCD COP17, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, towards the end of August. Under the theme, Restoring Land, Restoring Hope, COP17 advanced action on land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land management, with particular emphasis on rangelands and pastoral livelihoods.

Taking place 24–25 November 2026 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, the conference is co-hosted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Tsinghua University, and will bring together leading researchers, policymakers, innovators, and communicators to advance the global dialogue on overshoot pathways and responses.