Prof. Rafig Azzam Visited Institute of Geology and Geophysics,

Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS)

      Invited by the associate Prof. Luqin Zhang in Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), the chairman of German engineering geology committee, the director of the engineering geology and hydrogeology institute, Technical University of Aachen, Prof. Rafig Azzam, Dr. Tomas M. Fernandez-Steeger, Dr. Anica Braun, Dr. Mei Dong and Dr. Hui Hu arrived at IGGCAS for 2-days academic visit.

      There were four academic reports for the Germany side, hosted by Prof. Guoming Li, the head of Division of Engineering Geology and Water Resources IGGCAS between 9:00 and 12:30 am on October 21^st. And there were more than 60 participants in all. First of all, Prof. Rafig Azzam introduced the research direction and fields of the engineering geology and hydrogeology institute, Technical University of Aachen and then summarized the recent scientific research projects. Following, there were three academic reports, Wireless sensor networks in geosensing-examples from the SLEWS system (Dr. Fernandez-Steeger), Mobility of engineered nanoparticles in saturated porous media (Braun) and 3D geological modeling and its application in engineering geology (Dong & Hu). Scholars and graduates from research institutes, universities questioned about their concern issues. The participants of IGGCAS included Professors Li Xiao, Wu Faquan, Hu Ruilin, Liu Daan, Associate Professors Ma Fengshan, Song Yuhuan, Qi Shengwen, Li Lihui, Li Shouding, Drs Zeng Qinli , Li Zhiqing and tens of graduates. The participants of other institutions included Professors Zhou Pingen from China Geological Environmental Monitoring Institute, Yao Leihua from China University of Geosciences, Zhang Liaoying, Qian Guifeng, Kang Kai from Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Administration. During 14:30-17:30 pm Prof. Azzam and others visited the ion microprobe laboratory and the experimental test systems of Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics and communicated and discussed with the researchers for contents and methods of the experiment. Academician Wang SiJing and the head of Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics Prof. Li Xiao hosted the welcome dinner and discussed the future cooperation thoughts.

      On 22^nd October, the Prof. Azzam and other four visitors visited Zhoukoudian site, Yunju Si underground palace and the Shijinshan libray cave, respectively accompanied by Dong Cuiping the head of Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site Administration and Zhang Aimin the chief of Yunju Si cultural affairs bureau. For the issues about the body stability of Peking Man site, weathering of rocks and long-term preservation, Prof. Azzam and Dr. Fernandez-Steeger discussed the protection measures, methods and technical problems and proposed some useful suggestions and agreed well with each other on the future cooperation.

      Although the academic exchange lasted only two days, both China side and German side agreed that the future international cooperation isn’t only a rare opportunity but also wide prospects and should identify and promote the contents and plans of cooperation as soon as possible.

（translated by Xiaolin Huang）