Lancaster Environment Centre develops partnership with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to research air quality and climate change
The Institute of Atmospheric Physics is one of the top research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has a strong international reputation in meteorology, air pollution and climate science.
The new collaboration supports the development of joint, world-class research in the atmospheric and climate sciences, and in particular brings together expertise from both institutions to address pressing concerns about air quality and climate change in China.
The agreement builds on existing links between Lancaster University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lancaster Environment Centre is currently working with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics on modelling urban air quality in Beijing investigating the sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that contribute to the frequent episodes of hazardous smog that plague the city.
The new agreement will support the development of a joint international centre for atmospheric modelling, which will investigate the chemical and meteorological processes governing the formation of air pollution in this rapidly-developing region and will design new approaches for its control.
The agreement was signed by Professor Zhu Jiang, Director General of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, and Professor Kevin Jones, Director of the Lancaster Environment Centre, during a visit to Beijing in November. Kevin was accompanied by Environment Centre colleagues Oliver Wild and Hong Li.