On December 8, at the invitation of Professor Chen Min from the Institute of Earth Sciences, Professors Xuefeng Xie and Hongjun Lin from the School of Geography and Environment at Zhejiang Normal University participated in an online symposium. They engaged in in-depth discussions and consultations regarding the cutting-edge directions and development plans for the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory.

During the meeting, both parties engaged in thorough exchanges on the joint laboratory's strategic positioning, disciplinary frontiers, and future development plans. Drawing upon their extensive academic backgrounds and management experience, Professors Xuefeng Xie and Hongjun Lin conducted comprehensive analyses regarding the laboratory's research layout, talent cultivation, and international cooperation mechanisms, offering forward-looking and targeted constructive suggestions.

Professors Chen Min, Lü Guonian, Huang Changchun, and Cao Min from our institute also participated throughout the seminar. This discussion further clarified the development direction of the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory, providing crucial support for advancing its high-quality construction and sustainable development.

Xuefeng Xie, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, serves as the Specially Appointed Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Office at Zhejiang Normal University, Party Committee Member and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the College of Geography and Environmental Sciences. He holds the positions of Deputy Director of the China-Mozambique Smart Agriculture “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory, Member of the Resource Geography Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for Natural Resources, Council Member of the Zhejiang Geographical Society, and Deputy Director of the Youth Working Committee. His primary research focuses on saline-alkali soil regulation and improvement, as well as carbon and nitrogen cycles in coastal wetlands.

Lin Hongjun, Dean of the College of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Zhejiang Normal University, Distinguished/Level-II Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Head of the Doctoral Program in Environmental Science and Engineering, Deputy Director of the Belt and Road Joint Laboratory (State Key Laboratory), and Deputy Director of the Provincial Key Laboratory for Digital and Intelligent Monitoring and Restoration of Watershed Environment. His long-term research focuses on watershed environmental governance, membrane water treatment technology, and environmental catalytic technology.