More than 20 professors and postgraduates from the University of Zurich, Beijing University and the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NWIPB) joined a Summer School Program from June 28 to July 9 held by NWIPB in the Haibei Station.
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Field work in Haibei Station (Photos by WANG Guangshuai) |
The Summer School Program originated from a joint investigation in Tibetan alpine grassland conducted by Prof. Bernhard Schmid from the University of Zurich and Prof. HE Jinsheng with NWIPB in July of 2009.
During the program, students conducted investigations in the field of the Haibei Alpine Ecosystem Research Station located in typical alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which stimulated them to take different research interests in ecology. Through taking courses and cooperative teams, students studied the distribution characteristics of Potentilla fruticosa shrubs, the effect of ant nests on the surrounding plant diversity, etc..
As the closing ceremony, a Science Night seminar was held in Xining on July 8. Dr. Pascal A. Niklaus, Simon L. Zeller, and Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schmid from Switzerland gave academic lectures respectively at the seminar.
The summer school program opened up new realms for Sino-Swiss international academic exchanges of alpine ecology research. As scheduled, another bilateral summer school will be held in 2011 in the Alps Station, Switzerland.
