On March 29, 2026, the South-South Cooperation Knowledge Sharing Symposium, co-organized by the Department of Earth System Science (DESS), the Department of Electronic Engineering, and the Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University, was held on campus. Experts and scholars from a number of institutions and universities attended the event, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of the People's Republic of China, and the School of Architecture (SA), Tsinghua University. The symposium centered on the theme of Digital Agriculture and Energy Transition.

Associate Professor Li Wei, Associate Chair of Tsinghua DESS, delivered a welcome address. He introduced the department's development history and disciplinary framework, highlighting its research and international collaboration achievements in fields such as Earth system science, climate change, and sustainable development. He noted that Tsinghua DESS is committed to addressing the major challenges of climate change through interdisciplinary approaches and technological innovation. In particular, the department continues to pursue cutting-edge research and practical applications in the areas of climate change and food system security, contributing Chinese wisdom to global sustainable development.

Li Wei delivering a welcome address

Associate Professor Yu Le from Tsinghua DESS delivered a presentation titled "Precision Crop Monitoring and Model Applications for Smart Agricultural Management under Extreme Weather." Drawing on the outcomes of two National Key R&D Program of China projects—the "Precision Crop Monitoring and Model Applications for Smart Agricultural Management under Extreme Weather" project (Grant No. 2025YFE0209600) under the "Strategic Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" priority, and the "Rapid Biodiversity Assessment System and National Practices for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" project (Grant No. 2024YFF1307600) under the "Protection and Restoration of Typical Vulnerable Ecosystems" priority—Assoc. Prof. Yu detailed the technological pathways and progress of smart agricultural management in the context of climate change.

Yu Le delivering a report

The symposium in session

This exchange event demonstrated the research foundation and international cooperation potential of Tsinghua DESS in the fields of climate change-oriented smart agriculture and biodiversity conservation, and strengthened consensus with UN agencies and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on climate-resilient agricultural development. In the future, both sides are expected to deepen collaboration under the framework of South-South Cooperation and jointly promote the implementation of sustainable agricultural development solutions to address global change.

Written by Zheng Jinhui