The CGS delegation, headed by Executive Vice President Prof. Wang Xiaolie, paid an academic visit to the U.K., Denmark and Spain from 13 June to 22 June 2016, during which bilateral MoU/Agreement was signed respectively between CAGS and the University College London, University of Copenhagen and Complutense University of Madrid to further strengthen bilateral collaboration in geoscience research and education.

According to the signed MoU/Agreement, CAGS,CGS and the above-mentioned universities will promote bilateral cooperation in geoscience research and education/training through (1) exchange of academic visits; (2) exchange of published scientific and technological information, geological publications, specimen and standard samples; (3) joint sponsorship and organization of seminars, conferences, or training projects on topics of mutual interest; (4) joint initiation and implementation of geoscience research projects; (5) joint education projects, awarding double degrees for Doctorate theses from each party and exchanging post-doctoral researchers; (6) exchange, on a reciprocal basis, of postgraduate students for limited periods of time for the purpose of research and/or education; (7) exchange of information on teaching, learning materials and other literature relevant to their education and research projects.

During the visit to the University College London (UCL), the CAGS delegation met with Prof. Lars Stixrude, Head of the Department of Earth Sciences, Prof. Graham Shields-Zhou, Professor of Geology from the Department of Earth Sciences, Prof. Peter Sammonds, Director of the UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction and other representatives. The two sides exchanged views on potential cooperation in geophysics, isotope geology, stratigraphy, paleontology, natural hazards and pollutant studies, discussed the possibility to apply for cooperative projects jointly funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the U.K. Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), and exchanged information on the scholarship program jointly supported by UCL and China Scholarship Council.

During the visit to theUniversity of Copenhagen, the CAGS delegation met with Prof. John Renner Hansen, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof. Claus Beier, Head of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, Prof. Hans Thybo and Prof. Irina Artemieva, Members of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences. The two sides explored cooperation opportunities in continental scientific drilling and deep Earth geology and discussed pragmatic cooperation means of postgraduate education and training. The CAGS delegation also visited the Royal DanishAcademy of Sciences and learned the history and functions of the Academy during its stay in Denmark.During the visit to the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, the CAGS delegation met with Prof. Isabel Duran Gimenez-Rico, Vice Rector of the Complutense University of Madrid, Prof. Lorena Ortega Menor, Dean of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, and Prof. Jose Calvo, the Secretary General of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The two sides exchanged views on cooperation potentials in stratigraphy, paleontology, geophysics, geochemistry etc. and discussed pragmatic cooperation means in geoscience education/training, such as joint field courses. The CAGS delegation also visited the GeologicalMuseum and Library of the Geological Survey of Spain.