On March 6 to 19, Professor Sun Lijuan of College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology was invited to Japan for an academic visit.

Professor Sun Lijuan’s first stop was the Mathematical Biology Laboratory of Kyushu University. She was invited to give a mixture of online and offline academic reports on the theme of fine root physiological ecology to a number of laboratories in biological science of the Faculty of Science, with a full discussion with local teachers and students. During her visit, she had in-depth discussions with several researchers on international collaboration, visited laboratory facilities and field platforms, and listened to academic progress reports by various graduate students, which laid a foundation for in-depth cooperation in the future.

Professor Sun’s second stop was Kyoto University. She attended the academic career report of Professor Kanehiro Kitayama of Kyoto University, and introduced and exchanged with many researchers from participating universities and research institutions on their research progress, research interests and academic opinions. During the visit, Professor Sun also visited many research and academic institutions including the Kansai Research Center of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute that collaborate with Kyoto University.

Finally, she visited the general institute of the Forest Comprehensive Research Institute in Tsukuba. Professor Sun gave a speech on the introduction of academic progress at the institute and exchanged academic opinions with researchers from multiple disciplines such as plant functional traits, soil science and carbon dynamics. During the visit, she visited the Institute’s long-term carbon flux measurement sampling site in Fujikyu.

Flux tower at the carbon flux experiment base in Fujikyu

During the visit, the latest scientific achievements of the “fine root physiological ecology” research of Lanzhou University’s grassland science was publicized to the Japanese counterparts. Academic views and opinions were exchanged with Japanese scholars as well. The two sides expressed an initial intention to collaborate. It enhanced the academic internationalization of the “fine root physiological ecology” research and expanded the space for academic collaboration.