On March 16th, 2021, a group of 10 people from Shenyang University, including the president Zhao Yanzhi, vice presidents Wang Xiaochu, Zhonghu Yuan, Wang Shumei and Lu Qingxuan visited the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Science. Zhu Jiaojun, director of IAE, Fang Yunting, deputy director, Hao Xin, deputy secretary of the party committee, Zhuo Junchen, deputy director, and a number of environmental scientists of IAE attended a symposium held for the purpose of discussing cooperation between the two parties. 

Zhu Jiaojun, on behalf of IAE, gave a warm welcome to all the visitors from Shenyang University. Fang Yunting gave an introduction to the institute, especially its profound academic background in forestry, agriculture, environment and other fields. "In all these fields, IAE has accumulated many important scientific outputs, which will be a good foundation for cooperation between the two parties," Fang said. 

Zhao Yanzhi briefed the outline of Shenyang University. As for the cooperative history between the two parties, he said that the two parties have maintained fruitful cooperation and frequent personnel exchanges in scientific research since Academician Sun Tieheng presided over the university. He suggested that the two parties expand and deepen cooperation in urban ecology, environmental engineering, ecological economics and other disciplines, as well as in research project application, personnel training, and graduate student education. He recommended the two parties to establish an innovation centre to from a solid, strategic partnership. 

Zhu Jiaojun said that IAE attaches great importance to cooperation with Shenyang University in environmental science and engineering, urban forestry, and circular economics. He emphasised that both parties should make full use of their respective advantages to jointly undertake some major scientific projects, solve ecological and environmental problems that hinder the development of Shenyang, and jointly explore the education/training model for international students. He expressed full confidence in future cooperation with Shenyang University and believed that the cooperative relationship between the two parties has entered a new stage of development. 

Afterwards, the visitors communicated with scientists of IAE, and put forward some good suggestions, such as on strengthening cooperation and exchanges between young scholars from two sides, establishing joint laboratory, and sharing of intellectual property. Then the visitors, accompanied by Zhu Jiaojun, paid a visit to the National and Provincial Joint Engineering Laboratory for Bio-physico-chemical Remediation of Contaminated Soil, and the Herbarium of Northeast China (both of which are affiliated with IAE).