On December 7, 2025, the first Council meeting of the China University Alliance for Earth System Sciences (CUAESS), jointly initiated by Tianjin University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, was held in Tianjin. The event was hosted by the School of Earth System Science at Tianjin University and co-organized by relevant departments of Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Over 150 scholars and doctoral students from more than 10 universities, including Zhejiang University, Xiamen University, Hohai University, China Agricultural University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the forum.
Council representatives from Tianjin University, Tsinghua University, Nanjing University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology gathered to elect the first Alliance President and Secretary-General, jointly deliberate on the Alliance’s constitution, and engage in in-depth discussions on core issues such as member development mechanisms, resource integration strategies, and future event planning. The Council clarified that the Alliance will focus on national "dual carbon" goals and the needs of ecological civilization construction, integrating the advantages of member units in discipline development, scientific research, and talent cultivation to promote cross-university collaborative innovation and provide intellectual support for addressing global climate change and advancing sustainable development.
The convening of this Council meeting not only laid an institutional foundation for the establishment and development of the Alliance but also provided an important opportunity for universities to deepen cooperation and jointly explore new chapters in discipline development. Representatives unanimously stated that the establishment of the Alliance will significantly promote the high-quality development of China’s Earth system science field and contribute university strength to serving national strategic needs.
