On August 26, Academician Hou Zengqian, deputy of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, gave a lecture on 'Forum of Famous Geosciences' at the invitation of Prof. Huang Jianping of the College of Atmospheric Sciences and Prof. Dai Shuang who is the associate dean of the School of Earth Science. He gave a lecture titled 'National Natural Science Fund Reform and Earth Science Development Strategy' in the lecture hall of the Yifu Science Museum in the West District of Chengguan Campus. Vice President Pan Baotian attended and presided over the report, the relevant person in charge of the School Science and Technology Development Research Institute, the deputy dean of the scientific research work, the research secretary and the staff of the College of Atmospheric Sciences, the College of Earth Science, and the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences attended the report.

       At the report, Hou Zengqian congratulated Lanzhou University on its 110th anniversary and praised Lanzhou University as a pioneer of western universities and made great achievements in the field of earth sciences. Subsequently, Hou Zengqian interpreted the reform direction and specific measures of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in terms of background, tasks and objectives, and hoped to build a new era natural science fund system with “advanced ideas, institutional norms, fairness and efficiency”. He also analyzed the strategic development direction of the future of earth science.

       This report will be of great guiding significance for our teachers, especially those majoring in earth science, to deeply understand the reform of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, to actively integrate into the national top-level design of scientific research, and to apply for fund projects effectively.

       Before the report, Academician Hou Zengqian and Academician Yan Chunhua co-chaired the opening ceremony of the 2019 Academic Annual Meeting of the International Earth Science Program IGCP652 Project; Hou Zengqian also inspected the Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety of Lanzhou University.  He affirmed the work done by the center and gave valuable suggestions for its future development.