Karakoram International University (KIU), Gilgit-Baltistan, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) have agreed to collaborate on climate research in the region. The agreement was reached during a meeting in Beijing between KIU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah and UCAS Executive Vice-President Prof. Dr. Wang Yenfen. Prof. Hong Tianhua from the China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre (CPJRC) was also present at the meeting.
During the discussion, Dr. Shah emphasized KIU’s contributions to climate research, particularly through the Karakoram Centre for Cryosphere and Climate (KC3). The center has been conducting climate change studies in 16 vulnerable valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, focusing on glacier and ecosystem impacts.
Under Dr. Shah’s leadership, KC3 is actively working on disaster modeling, risk assessment, climate-adaptive agriculture, water resource management, glacial mass balance, and Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) modeling. Advanced technologies such as GIS, Remote Sensing (RS), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are also being used for disaster management and mitigation.
As the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Himalayan Universities Consortium (HUC), Dr. Shah reaffirmed KIU’s interest in collaborating with UCAS on climate research. HUC is a network of universities and academic institutions working on research and scholarship related to the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.
Prof. Wang Yenfen, who also serves as the Vice Chairperson of China’s Ecological Society and Natural Resources Society, stressed the importance of China-Pakistan collaboration in climate studies. He appreciated KIU’s efforts in sustainable mountain development and expressed commitment to expanding research partnerships in the Himalayan-Karakoram-Hindukush region.
Both sides discussed mechanisms to enhance the role of HUC and broaden research efforts in the region. The China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre (CPJRC) will serve as a platform for collaborative research between KIU and UCAS, fostering scientific exchange and joint climate studies.
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