Nanjing University Suzhou Campus Hosts 3rd China Digital Earth Conference and Launches ‘Digital Technology to Promote Sustainable Development Suzhou Week’
On June 1, 2024, the 3rd China Digital Earth Conference, hosted by the International Digital Earth Society and Nanjing University, opened at the Suzhou Campus of Nanjing University. More than 1,200 government leaders, experts and scholars from different fields, and representatives of international organizations invited to participate attended the conference.
The theme of this conference is “Digital Technology Supporting Sustainable Development of the Earth”. Focusing on the theoretical and technological innovation, typical application demonstration, and industry development of digital earth, the conference will discuss in depth the important role of digital earth in achieving sustainable development goals, provide a communication platform for experts and scholars in various fields, decision-making and management departments, and engineering and R&D personnel of venture capital companies, promote the progress of digital earth technology in my country, and promote the contribution of earth big data science and technology to major scientific discoveries and the national strategy of self-reliance in science and technology. Guo Huadong, chairman of the conference, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of the International Research Center for Sustainable Development Big Data (hereinafter referred to as the “SDG Center”), presided over the opening ceremony.
Tan Tianniu , Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanjing University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a welcome speech. He pointed out that as a century-old university with a long history and outstanding reputation, Nanjing University, which has gone through 122 glorious years, has always kept pace with the times and shared the fate of the nation, seeking the prosperity of the country and the progress of science and education, and has made due contributions to the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the happiness of the people. The earth science discipline of Nanjing University has always adhered to serving the country through science and education, bravely stood at the forefront of the times, and constantly maintained integrity and innovation, making important contributions to the innovative development of the earth science discipline. Nanjing University Suzhou Campus aims at the national strategic needs and focuses on the construction and development of “new engineering”, which is a two-way rush between Nanjing University and Suzhou. He emphasized that the theme of this conference focuses on “Digital Technology Supporting Sustainable Development of the Earth”, which accurately grasps the pulse of the times and responds to human concerns. Nanjing University looks forward to working together with brother universities, research institutes and government agencies through this conference to deepen cooperation, seek the truth between “heaven and earth”, continuously promote the integrated development of earth science and digital technology, continuously open up the frontier of digital earth science and technology development, and strive to promote innovative applications of earth big data in promoting sustainable development, so as to make more new contributions to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country with Chinese-style modernization, the great cause of national rejuvenation and the accelerated building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Wang Qinmin, Vice Chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Director of the National E-Government Expert Committee, delivered a speech. He pointed out that since its inception, the China Digital Earth Conference has made outstanding contributions to China’s digital earth theory and innovative development. It is expected that through this conference platform, the digital earth research results will make greater contributions to the construction of digital China, promote the asset reconstruction and public services of massive spatial geographic data resources, and promote a win-win international cooperation pattern of digital earth.
Luo Hui, member of the Party Leadership Group of the China Association for Science and Technology, said that the International Society for Digital Earth has achieved important results in promoting the global development of digital Earth technology and promoting international cooperation and exchanges in this field. Its successful practice has further enhanced the confidence and motivation of my country’s scientific and technological community to serve the overall national strategy, serve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, and organize Chinese scientists to actively participate in global science and technology governance.
Chen Ronghui, deputy director of the National Data Bureau, pointed out that since its establishment, the National Data Bureau has accelerated the reform of market-oriented allocation of data elements, coordinated the planning and construction of Digital China, digital economy, and digital society, and made positive progress in various tasks. Digital Earth is an important field for developing new quality productivity. The National Data Bureau will continue to support Digital Earth to play a greater role in developing the digital economy, promoting the digital transformation and upgrading of industries, and deepening the construction of smart cities, so as to better enable the development of thousands of industries.
Wang Zhenyu, deputy director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the Chinese Academy of Sciences has long attached great importance to scientific and technological innovation and international cooperation, and has promoted the development of China’s digital earth field by establishing the “Earth Big Data Science Project” pilot science and technology project and co-hosting a series of academic conferences with the society. It is expected that the society will make greater contributions to enhancing my country’s global science and technology governance capabilities and international influence in the field of digital earth.
In order to showcase the series of research results and successful cases of digital technology, the “Digital Technology Promotes Sustainable Development·Suzhou Activity Week” was held at the conference. Liu Xiaotao, member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee, Guo Huadong, Tan Zhemin, President of Nanjing University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chen Jun, Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Association, former President of Nanjing University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Luo Hui jointly launched the activity week. Guo Huadong presented Liu Xiaotao with the “Earth Big Data Supporting Sustainable Development Goals Report” and the “Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 Low-light Image Atlas”.
The opening ceremony also held a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the International Society for Digital Earth (hereinafter referred to as the “Society”). Guo Huadong delivered a conference report entitled “International Society for Digital Earth – an international scientific and technological organization initiated by my country and joined by the International Science Council (ISC)”, introducing the development history of the Society and the application cases of the SDG Center in the field of digital earth technology to the delegates. He emphasized that digital earth is becoming one of the most challenging and widely driven scientific and technological fields in the world. In the face of major demands constantly raised by the international and domestic societies, he called on the majority of scientific and technological workers to broaden the research direction of digital earth and promote the research of the earth system to a new height. In his video speech, Alessandro Annoni, President of the Society, said that Chinese scientific researchers have promoted the Society’s goal and vision of developing digital earth and made great contributions to the Society’s becoming an important force in the global geospatial field. Michael Meadows, President of the International Geographical Union (IGU), delivered a speech as a representative of international organizations, highly praising the key role played by the cooperation between the two sides in promoting scientific research progress and promoting international cooperation.
The United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Expert Committee (UN-GGIM), the International Science Council Data Committee (ISC-CODATA), the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) and other international and national organizations sent congratulatory letters. In recognition of outstanding scientific and technological workers who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the global digital earth, the society awarded Academician Guo Huadong the “Digital Earth Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement Award” and awarded Liu Yongwei, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Committee, the “China Digital Earth Outstanding Contribution Award”.
In the special report session of the conference, Li Deren, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Lv Jian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wang Jian, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of Zhijiang Laboratory and founder of Alibaba Cloud, Wang Qiao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and researcher of the Satellite Environment Application Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Tong Xiaohua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice president of Tongji University, Wang Jinsong, director of the National Satellite Meteorological Center (National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center), and Zhu Xiaoxiang, academician of the European Academy of Sciences, professor of the Technical University of Munich and director of the Munich Institute of Data Science, gave reports on topics such as intelligent remote sensing satellites and applications for space-ground interconnection, strategic thinking on the development of new software technologies, digital earth and changes in scientific research paradigms, China’s environmental satellites and their applications, remote sensing site selection and analysis of water ice detection in the Antarctic of the Moon, meteorological practice of satellite big data, and earth observation to help meet social challenges, and had in-depth discussions with experts and scholars attending the conference.
During the opening ceremony, Wang Qinmin, accompanied by Tan Tianniu and Tan Zhemin, visited the International Academic Exchange Center, Renshan Hall, Nanyong Building and other places of Nanjing University Suzhou Campus, and toured the beautiful campus. He fully affirmed the unique landscape design of the Suzhou campus and the modern teaching facilities with Nanjing University characteristics.
During the conference, a tree planting activity was also held at the Academician Forest of Suzhou Campus. Accompanied by Tan Zhemin, Academicians Guo Huadong, Zhou Chenghu, Li Deren, Mu Mu, Gong Jianya of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wang Jian of the Chinese Academy of Engineering came to the Academician Forest of Zhuangli Mountain in Suzhou Campus and planted lush ginkgo trees. The “Academician Forest” is one of the important cultural symbols of Nanjing University Suzhou Campus. Since its opening, more than 50 academicians have planted trees here.
This conference is hosted by the Society’s Chinese National Committee, the SDG Center, the Institute of Space Earth Sciences of Nanjing University, and the Institute of Aerospace Information Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It will last for two days and will include four thematic sub-forums: “Digital Earth Discipline Frontier Forum”, “Digital Earth Application Innovation Forum”, “Digital Earth Technology Service Forum” and “Digital Earth Youth Development Forum”.