14th UNESCO/IOC-ODC Training Course Successfully Convened

On September 1, 2025, the 14th UNESCO/IOC Regional Training and Research Center on Ocean Dynamics and Climate (ODC Center) Training Course was convened in Qingdao.

Hosted by the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), Ministry of Natural Resources, the two-week training course focuses on the Application of Ocean Forecast System. The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor QIAO Fangli, Deputy Director General of FIO and Director of the ODC Center. Representatives from the ODC Center, FIO, and Elsevier attended and addressed the event. Speakers highlighted the essential role of the ocean in climate change, acknowledged the ODC Center's decade-long contribution to international cooperation and capacity building in ocean-climate research, and encouraged trainees to actively engage in academic exchange.

At the opening ceremony, Director General LI Tiegang delivered a speech, stating that FIO will continue to support the UNESCO/IOC-ODC Center in building a high-level exchange platform for international marine cooperation. He emphasized FIO’s commitment to promoting the sharing of scientific resources and the joint cultivation of talent, thereby making substantive contributions to building a maritime community with a shared future. Vice President Peter Harrison expressed that Elsevier remains dedicated to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, actively advancing scientific research and collaboration in the fields of ocean and climate, and fostering the growth of young scientists. He looks forward to collaborating with global institutions to jointly promote research and practices in marine sustainability, providing scientific solutions to address global environmental challenges. Professor Juliet Clair Hermes noted that this training offers a high-level learning platform for young scholars worldwide in the fields of ocean forecasting and climate research. She hopes that through systematic courses and cutting-edge practical exchanges, the program will effectively enhance participants’ professional skills and scientific research innovation capabilities.

The UNESCO/IOC-ODC Center aims to provide annual international training courses and workshops for young marine scholars with a particular focus on promoting international cooperation and research capacity in marine dynamics, air-sea interactions, climate change, and numerical modeling in the Western Pacific region. Since its official establishment in 2011, the center has received 1,617 applications and provided training to 785 participants from 56 countries.

This year’s training program invited 11 experts from China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, Benin, Nigeria, and other countries to give lectures for 35 participants from 18 nations. The training featured a diverse curriculum, incorporating expert lectures, hands-on exercises and discussions, group discussions, and presentations. The training program will provide young scholars in the climate and ocean fields, particularly those from developing countries, with opportunities to enhance their capabilities and engage in collaborative research. It will also contribute to expanding China’s international influence in global marine and climate research.

Group photo

Opening ceremony