Transcript Staff Writer
The idea began about two years ago: With a world becoming increasingly interconnected, why not promote collaboration in the sciences?
Now University of Oklahoma President David Boren has seen his goal come to fruition. The U.S.-China Symposium on Meteorology: Mesoscale Meteorology and Data Assimilation starts today at OU.
The event is groundbreaking; it's the first-ever bilateral symposium on meteorology between the two countries, said Dr. Peter Lamb, George Lynn Cross research professor of meteorology and director of NOAA Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies.
Lamb was one of the major coordinators of the symposium that will be at the National Weather Center on the OU Research Campus today through Thursday.
"I think our cooperation benefits both China and the U.S.," said Gongbing Peng, secretery-general of the China Science Center of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, who arrived in Norman Sunday night with about 40 scientists who make up China's delegation to the symposium.
China can learn from the U.S., which is "one of the most developed countries in the field of meteorology," said Dr. Wang Huijun, director-general of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
And the U.S. can learn from China, which has unique weather systems and climates, he said. China also has researched similar severe weather patterns as the U.S., but in different conditions that can shed much light on U.S. research, Lamb said.
The event will address six topics, with a keynote speaker on each one from both the U.S. and China. The speakers come from universities and science academies throughout both nations, Lamb said.
The topics will focus on mesoscale meteorology, or "small, destructive weather systems," such as thunderstorms and tornados, he said.
The theme was chosen because it's a concern both countries share, Huijun said.
The symposium also will focus on new methods of data assimilation, and in that way it will focus on the "frontier" of meteorology, Huijun said. It also will be a step forward in the frontier of U.S.-China relations.
"We hope to discuss future collaborations," Huijun said.
The symposium could only be possible through the funding of the OU president's office, Lamb said. The office funded nine Chinese scientists coming to the symposium and funded about 25 more in part, he said.
This is really just the first step in the collaboration between the U.S. and China, Lamb said. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding that will create opportunities like this through 2012.
Student and researcher exchanges between the countries also are included in the understanding.
"We hope to exchange more people, especially the young people, from the two sides to promote the bilateral cooperation in this field," Huijun said.
The symposium will meet again in 2010 or 2011 in Beijing.
Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com
Local news
First-ever event to foster cooperation between U.S. and China
- Local news
-
-
Theater’s the scene for Norman marketing director
Nancy Coggins landed a job with a prestigious Oklahoma City advertising agency before the ink dried on her OU journalism diploma. The job was a first rung on her career ladder and she admits that it didn’t call for her creative talents. ...
-
New jail to install curtains
The F. DeWayne Beggs Detention Center, though still in its infancy, is getting a facelift: new curtains....
-
Businesses go the extra mile for Valentine’s Day
Among the various images the phrase “Valentine’s Day” might conjure in one’s mind, probably the most immediate is the iconic dozen roses and heart-shaped box of chocolates....
-
New rehabilitation, skilled care center will be next to HealthPlex
StoneGate Senior Living President and CEO John F. Taylor announced Friday that his company has completed the purchase of approximately 6.7 acres of land in the Norman Regional Health System’s Medical Park West project at NW 36th Avenueand ...
-
Mystery performance provides theatrical fatal attraction
James Briggs has a pretty steady day job with the city parks department, doesn’t live anywhere near Little River and probably never owned or slept in a hatchback. He doesn’t usually wear sport coats that are two sizes too small, either ...
-
'Get the Lead Out' annual children's art festival enters 10th year
Longfellow Middle School had a special “GLO” about it Saturday morning....
-
County prisoners moved to new jail
Cleveland County sheriff’s deputies began moving prisoners from the detention center adjacent to the courthouse to the new F. DeWayne Beggs Detention Center at Franklin Road and U.S. 77 early Saturday morning....
-
School board elections Tuesday
Voters go to the polls Tuesday in four Cleveland County school districts. Cleveland County Election Board Secretary Jim Williams said this will be the first election using the new voting system. Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on ...
-
Identity theft crackdown sweeps nation
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department recently announced a national sweep cracking down on suspected identity theft perpetrators as part of a stepped-up effort against refund fraud and identity theft....
-
Darry Stacy seeking county commission seat
Darry Stacy, a fifth generation Oklahoman and lifelong resident of Cleveland County, announced Friday that he will be a Republican candidate for the District 2 Cleveland County commissioner seat....
- More Local news Headlines
-
Theater’s the scene for Norman marketing director
