The 2023 China Sri Lanka Geological Cooperation Conference, organized by the China Sri Lanka Geological Research Center of IGGCAS, was held on October 17, 2023. Professor Pitawala, Ms. Medhavi Abeysinghe, Professor Sanjeewa Malaviarachchi, Professor Jagath Gunatilake, Professor Nanda Balasooriya, and Dr. Prasanna Dharmapriya from the Department of Geology at the University of Peradeniya, accompanied by the members of China-Sri Lanka Joint Science and Education Center of the Chinese Academy of attended the conference. Academician ZHAI Mingguo, Academician LI Xianhua, Prof. GUO Jinghui, Prof.  PANG Zhonghe, Prof. XU Chenxi from IGG received the delegation. The conference was chaired by Associate Prof. ZHAO Lei, director of the China Sri Lanka Geological Research Center at IGG. 

ZHAI Mingguo firstly delivered a speech. He recognized the efforts made by both China and Sri Lanka in the geosciences cooperative research, and also thanked the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Sri Lanka Joint Science and Education Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for their financial support. After a brief review of the cooperation process, ZHAI spoke highly of the achievements of the cooperation and put forward some suggestions for the issues that needed to be noted in future cooperation between the two sides. Professor Nanda Balasooriya from Peradeniya University in Sri Lanka delivered a speech on behalf of Sri Lanka. He thanked China for its efforts in organizing this bilateral cooperation conference and recognized the achievements of cooperation between the two sides in the past few years. He also hoped that there could be more  collaborative researches in more fields in the future. 

XU Chenxi, on behalf of IGGCAS, congratulated the successful convening of this bilateral cooperation conference and briefly introduced the situation and research trends of IGGCAS. He stated that IGG had attached great importance to international cooperation and had established relevant overseas geoscience research centers, providing annual funding support to the centers. Dr. YA Jinglong from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, CAS, and Prof. WEI Yuansend from the Ecological Environment Research Center, CAS delivered speeches on behalf of the China Sri Lanka Joint Science and Education Center and the Water Technology Research and Demonstration Center, respectively, introducing the current achievements of cooperation with scientists in different fields in Sri Lanka. 

Geologists from both China and Sri Lanka engaged in lively discussions about issues of common interest. LI Xianhua, GUO Jinghui, PANG Zhonghe, ZHAO Lei from IGG, Dr. Cai Danlu from the Aerospace Science and Technology Institute, and Dr. HE Xiaofang from China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) presented relevant collaborative research results on the geochemical background, underground and surface water, basement rock composition, remote sensing monitoring, and ultra-high temperature metamorphism of unexplained Chronic Kidney Disease (CKDu) in Sri Lanka, and proposed future cooperation suggestions. Professors Pitawala, Malavianachchi, Jagath Gunatilake, Nanda Balasooriya, and Dharmapriya from Peradeniya University in Sri Lanka presented the relevant geological conditions of Sri Lanka, and expressed the hope that both sides could explore the formation and metamorphism of basement rocks in Sri Lanka, the genesis of graphite and gemstone deposits, and the impact of these special minerals on the extreme geological conditions of Sri Lanka during the Pan African period. 

Attendees are speaking.(Image by IGG)

Group Photo (Image by IGG)