15 Nov 2023

From October 8th to 13th, the 7th International Training Course on UNESCO Global Geoparks Management and Development was held in Zhangye UGGp. More than 170 participants from domestic global geoparks, national geoparks, research institutes and universities conducted a one-week intensive training, and Shilin UGGp sent personnel to participate in the training.

The training course was jointly organized by China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and the University of the Aegean in Greece with the support of UNESCO, the authorization of the Executive Board of the Global Geoparks Network, under the guidance of the Department of Nature Reserve Management of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration and the National Geoparks Network Center. The training course invited members of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, members of the Executive Board of the Global Geoparks Network and senior geopark experts as lecturers to interpret the concept, management, communication, sustainable development significance and declaration, evaluation and revalidation of global geoparks through offline lectures, some delegate sharing and collective discussions. The training course enabled geopark managers, geopark experts and scientific partners to better understand the new charter, operational guidelines, and clarify the concepts, principles and rules of global geoparks. At the same time, by introducing the successful experience of the construction and effective operation of global geoparks in the world, the problems existing in the construction and development of geoparks were solved. After the meeting, a field trip to Zhangye UGGp was also arranged.

At the training course, Shilin representative made an oral presentation themed “ Shilin UGGp Significantly Promotes Local Sustainable Development ” and made in-depth exchanges and shared experience with other participants.

At the closing ceremony, President Nickolas Zouros and Professor ZHANG Jianping said that the event had been very effective and that the two sides would continue to hold such training in China in the future.