The World Data System (WDS) Scientific Committee recently appointed Dr. ZHANG Lianchong from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the WDS Early Career Researcher and Scientist (WDS-ECR) Network new co-chair starting July 1, 2020. It is also the first Chinese scientist to chair this network.

On June 12, two scientists from AIR, Prof. HUNAG Wenjiang, Executive Director of the CAS Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, and associate researcher DONG Yingying were invited to participate in and deliver expert reports at the Desert Locust Spatial Information Monitoring Summit where experts worldwide conducted in-depth exchanges on the topics such as desert locust monitoring and early warning and multi-national joint prevention and control of the locusts ravaging Asia and Africa. The video conference was organized by the United Nations to promote joint prevention and control measures to ensure agricultural and animal husbandry production and food security in case of humanitarian crisis.

The Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) LI Xinjun, together with several other guests, visited the CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Remote Sensing Information Technology on May 18,2020.The laboratory director LI Chuanrong, deputy directors TANG Lingli and LI Ziyang received the guests and had in-depth exchanges.

Requested by UNESCO World Heritage Center (WHC), the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under the auspices of UNESCO conducted an emergency monitoring and assessment of potential impact of Super Tropical Cyclone Harold on East Rennell, a World Natural Heritage site in Rennell Bellona Province, one of four affected provinces of the Solomon Islands which are among four cyclone-stricken countries in early April, 2020.

According to an announcement on the “2019 International Partnership Award for Young Scientists of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-IPAYS)” issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences on January 6, 2020, Prof. MA Lingling from the Key Laboratory of Quantitative Remote Sensing Information Technology under the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), together with her counterpart Dr. Marc Bouvet from the European Space Agency acquired this honor for their fruitful cooperation. AIR was also highly praised for its continuous support to international cooperative research.

From December 9 to 12, 2019, "Asia-Oceania Earth Observation Data Capacity Building Network: International Training Course on Agricultural, Marine and Ecological Environment Earth Observation Data in Sri Lanka" was successfully held in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.