On November 12, 2013, the 16-day “Africa Training Class on Geological Site Production and Geopark Construction” was successfully concluded in Kunming after all the training contents were completed in three world geoparks including Yanqing of Beijing, Yuntai Mountain of Henan and Stone Forest of Yunnan. Totally 15 trainees from 12 African countries including Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Tanzania successfully completed the training and were granted the certificate of completion.

The training class was jointly organized by UNESCO Nairobi Office in Africa, Global Network of National Geoparks, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and Network Center of China National Geoparks. It was an aiding program for Africa by the Chinese government. Tens of domestic and foreign experts and scholars from UNESCO Nairobi Office, Global Network of National Geoparks Execution Bureau, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong and Hong Kong World Geopark gave no-benefit lectures on such contents as work guidelines and standard for world geoparks, development achievements and management mode of China geoparks, planning and construction of geoparks, investigation, appraisal and scientific value of geological site resources, and geological tourism and promotion.

During the training in Stone Forest, Stone Forest Management Bureau Research Center gave case-based lectures geological site protection and geoscience popularization of Stone Forest World Geopark, and discussed with African trainees on questions in relation to the construction of Stone Forest World Geopark. In addition, the African trainees had field investigation on the construction of Stone Forest Geopark. They gave a concluding speech and participated in the granting of certificate on the concluding ceremony on behalf of Yanqing of Beijing, Yuntai Mountain of Henan and Stone Forest of Yunnan.

The training class further strengthened the connection and cooperation of Africa and China in the field of geological site protection and geopark construction and greatly promoted the implementation of the plan to construct world geoparks in Africa by UNESCO World Geopark Secretariat.