Ocean Science Education and Research at Peking University

　　　　　　　　　 Liping Zhoulpzhou@pku.edu.cn

COSEE-China Planning Workshop2010-3-9, Beijing

Tiananmen Square

Peking University

Olympic village

Airport

Founded in 1898, currently 30,000 students.(with affiliated Middle-High School, Primary School and Kindergarten)

Peking University Campus

A passage to the ocean…

ideasmeetingsorganisations

2009-12-11 Workshop on ocean research at PKU organised by the Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies of PekingUniversity.

law ， pharmaceutics ， engineering ， ENV sci and engineering

biology

physics

Earth sciences

• Why PKU didn’t do ocean research?

• Ocean research at PKU: background, present status, opportunity and challenge

•Is there really a need for setting up PKU Centre for Ocean Research？

Questions asked:

•“lack of academic/disciplinary basis”•“Beijing is too far from the ocean”•“lack of relevant expertise”•“unable to compete with marine universities”•“unable to obtain samples”

　 。。。　……

Major barriers (identified)

“Lesson 1”: Beijing is not so far from the ocean.

“Education”

“Lesson 2”: interdisciplinary nature of ocean-related research

“Lesson 3” ： Strategic planning and investment for ocean research in other countries

01/2002

“Lesson 4” : Challenge and frontier in Earth Science: over 40 years international collaboration on deep sea drilling: DSDP, ODP and IODP.

2009-12-28 Application for setting up Centre for Ocean Research, at Peking University signed by 22 faculties from 8 colleges was submitted.

Ocean education in action

2009PKU“Going to the ocean”Lecture series

2009-7-18 Cruise COMRA DY115-21

Cruise COMRA 115-21

OBS at South Pacific

Samples!!!

敏纳圆辐虫Globorotilia menardii

袋拟抱球虫Globigerinoides

sacculifer

红拟抱球虫Globigerinoides

ruber

双玦虫Pyrgo

瓶虫Lagena

三玦虫Triloculina

Motivation for ocean research at PKU:

Urgent need to understand changes in the ocean and improve our knowledge of their consequences.

e.g. the ocean's balanced physical, chemical and biological processes are being disrupted by humans,

How fast and how to adapt ?

• Marine life and environmental systems

• Ocean resources

• Deep ocean geodynamics

• Law of the Sea and international relationship

• Ocean technology and engineering

Current research (interests and activities)

A passage to the ocean…

Forward-looking vision & First-class scienceExcellent people (old & young)Good funding

Major potential advantages of Peking University:

bright young people high-level interdisciplinary

Ocean science teaching at Peking University

Before 2004/5(?)

Two courses for ALL undergraduates (up to >400/year):

• Introduction to oceanography• Coastal environments: development and management

plus more specialised courses (mostly related to atmospheric sciences and geosciences)

Ocean science teaching at Peking University

Present and future:•Coordinated reorganisation of ocean-related courses for undergraduates and post-graduates

•Curriculum development for undergraduate major in ocean studies

•Development of designated undergraduate researchprojects in ocean science

•Contribution to COSEE-China development.