Liu Jianbo, Zhang Zongke and Wei Xianhu of the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Yang Liuchun, director of the Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, visited Kenya from March 14 to 24, 2018 to promote Sino-Kenyan science and technology cooperation at the invitation of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

The CAS delegation meets with the African team.

The visit was to promote the work of the Sub-center of Geographical Science and Remote Sensing Research of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center and prepare for the upcoming China-Kenya Technology Cooperation Forum.

Professor Robert Gituru, director of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, and Professor Waithaka, director of the sub-center, welcomed the Chinese delegation. Gituru introduced the major work and plans of JKUAT in building the sub-center.

Liu Jianbo and Zhang Zongke introduced the goal of the sub-center and the plan to jointly organize the China-Kenya Technology Cooperation Forum in Nairobi. The two sides conducted in-depth and detailed exchanges on the plan and agreed on how to construct relevant content.

A researcher installs the “Remote Sensing Satellite Virtual Ground Station System”.

One of the key tasks of this visit was for the delegation to install and debug the Big Data Sharing and Service Platform of Eco-environment and Biodiversity Conservation Space in East Africa and the Remote Sensing Satellite Virtual Ground Station System under the framework of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center.

The service platform basically fulfils the three functions of image data management, data release, and data calculation. It is capable of realizing massive multi-phase data management and rapid distribution of non-sliced data. It can process and present remote sensing data in a fast, professional, and comprehensive manner. Installation of a remote-sensing satellite virtual ground station system will realize rapid processing of data from different satellites and different sensors received by China's remote-sensing satellite ground station and forward it to Kenya's remote user terminals in real time. The system will play an important role in Africa’s ecological environment monitoring and emergency disaster reduction and other fields.

The CAS delegation paid a special visit to the Chinese Embassy in Kenya. Ambassador Liu Xianfa was briefed about the achievements in scientific and technological cooperation and the goals and plans for future work. The delegation also informed Liu of the basic situation of China’s satellite ground receiving stations, and the problems faced in the work in Africa.

Liu spoke highly of the scientific and technological cooperation carried out by the team in Africa and said that he will actively help promote the work of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center team in Kenya.

Source: CAS