During my stay at the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), I learned a lot from the renowned resident scientists about several phenomena of environmental science, and particularly about climate change and global warming. The group I worked with was very diverse, energetic, and friendly so I was able to polish my skills and enhance my learning process. My regular interaction with them during weekly meetings and laboratory work provided me the opportunity to stay informed about the research in different domains (phenomena taking place in the cryospheric environment, water balance, atmosphere science, air and water pollution such as micro-plastic and mercury). The research atmosphere at NIEER is very good and the diverse research domains make it more attractive for high-quality research. The laboratories are of high level, well-equipped, and provide every facility on time to the researchers. The teachers and technical staff are very cooperative and I learned a great deal from their expertise. The regular interaction of professors with their group members is a very encouraging factor that not only enhances the learning of group members but also helps in the production of high-quality research findings. By working in such a research-friendly environment I gained a lot.

My stay in NIEER provided me a very fertile platform where I published many papers about different topics in well-reputed journals and several more are in process. Besides, during my stay in China, I came across a very remarkable use of science for development. It includes artificial snowfall in Gansu, rapid development in health, agriculture, and other technologies that seem like dreams elsewhere but happen in reality here. Moreover, I got the chance to visit many cities and learned more about the culture, food, and, more importantly, development on the local level. By participating in workshops and conferences, I learned about the geographical and geological importance of several cities and their development in science and technologies.

Our institute provides a high-standard living environment. The interaction with the institute administration was very friendly and they provided us with every basic facility in a satisfactory way. Being a foreigner, it is very easy to live in China; the locals are very friendly and the atmosphere is very attractive and provides so many opportunities. Overall, my experience was very positive and I found NIEER and China had become my second home.

Source: Wasim Sajjad,

Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,

Chinese Academy of Sciences