In order to fully study and carry out Xi Jinping’s thought on ecological civilization, put into practice the spirit of the National Conference on the Undergraduate Education Work for a New Era and the spirit of such documents of the Ministry of Education as the Opinion of Deepening the Reform of Education and Teaching of Undergraduates and Improving the Quality of Talent-Training in an All-Around Way and the Opinion of the Implementation of the Construction of First-Class Subjects for Undergraduates, highlight the purpose of strengthening moral value education and cultivating talents, innovate the philosophy for college-running, restructure the system for the discipline of ecology for a new era, create new patterns for cultivating high-level undergraduates for ecology, exchange opinions about and explore new paths and approaches for building undergraduate program for ecology and cultivating ecological talents and improve the talent-training quality, the 3rd Symposium on the Development of the Undergraduate Program for Ecology and Ecological Talent Training of Chinese Colleges was held in Hohhot City from July 16 to 18, 2021. The symposium was co-hosted by Ecological Society of China, Higher Education Press and Inner Mongolia University and organized by the School of Ecology and Environment of IMU. 123 scholars from 45 colleges and institutions who are engaged in the ecology-related research and teaching concerned attended the symposium.

The opening ceremony of the symposium was chaired by Prof. Li Yonghong, dean of the School of Ecology and Environment of IMU. Prof. Zhang Jiwei, vice president of IMU, delivered a welcome speech. Prof. Wu Wenliang, vice president of the Ecological Society of China and Wang Li, chief editor of the Publishing Division for Life Sciences and Medicine of Higher Education Press, addressed the symposium. In his speech, Prof. Zhang Jiwei pointed out that the ecological civilization construction is a long-term plan for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and the philosophy that lucid water and lush mountains are invaluable assets must be established and the awareness that the protection of ecological environment is the protection of productivity must be put into practice. He said that the symposium is conducive for profoundly studying and carrying out Xi Jinping’s thought on the ecological civilization and the spirit of the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th National Congress of the CPC, fully putting into effect the spirit of the National Conference on Education and exploring the pattern for cultivating high-level undergraduates of ecology. He hoped that the attendees can gather profound insights and contribute wisdom and power to the construction of the undergraduate program of ecology and ecological talent training.

Zhang Jiwei, vice president of IMU, delivers a welcome speech.

Wu Wenliang, vice president of the Ecological Society of China, addresses the summit.

Wang Li, chief editor of the Publishing Division for Life Sciences and Medicine of Higher Education Press, addresses the summit.

Li Yonghong, dean of the School of Ecology and Environment, presides over the opening ceremony.

At the summit, the following scholars gave their academic reports, exchanged their ideas about the way and experience for the construction of the undergraduate program of ecology and ecological talent training of Chinese colleges and explored the path and strategies for building undergraduate program of ecology and training ecological talents. They are Prof. Wu Wenliang, vice president of the Ecological Society of China, Prof. Yang Yongchuan with Chongqing University, Prof. Zhang Zhiming with Yunnan University, Prof. Chen Xiaoyong with East China Normal University, Liu Xubing with Sun Yat-Sen University, Wang Li, chief editor with the Publishing Division for Life Sciences and Medicine of Higher Education Press, Prof. Tan Zhenghong with Hainan University, Prof. Liu Bingru with North Minzu University, Prof. Xue Kun with Minzu University of China, Prof. Wang Youbao with Anhui Normal University, Wang Hui, associate professor with Shang Dong University, Prof. Zhang Zhen with Anhui Agricultural University, Prof. Liu Manqiang with Nanjing Agricultural University, Prof. Li Xiaoling with China Three Gorges University, Prof. Hongyu with Inner Mongolia Normal University, Prof. Li Shouzhong with Fujian Normal University, Prof. Xiang Xian with Anhui Normal University, Prof. Wang Qiong with China West Normal University and Prof. Li Xiaochun and Prof. Wang Lixin with IMU.

Of these scholars, Prof. Li Xiaochun, secretary of the CPC Committee of the School of Ecology and Environment of IMU gave the report named “Ecological Ethics: A Bridge for Traditional Ecology to Move to Ecological Civilization? ”. His report explores the important role played by ecology as a bridge between science and society in the construction of ecological civilization and elaborates on the significance of ecological ethics in the development of theories and methodologies of ecology. Prof. Wang Lixin, deputy dean of the School of Ecology and Environment gave his report named “The Exploration of the Way to Cultivate Distinctive Ecology-Environment Related Talents on the Basis of the Multi-Factor Internship and Practice of Mountains, Water, Forest, Field, Lakes, Grassland and Desert”. The report focuses on the following three aspects: the talent training system for undergraduates of ecology and environment of IMU, regional ecological advantages of Inner Mongolia and multi-factor internship and practice based on mountains, water, forest, field, lakes, grassland and desert.

Wu Wenlian, Yang Yongchuan, Zhang Zhiming, Chen Xiaoyong, Liu Xubing and Wang Lixin deliver their academic reports.

Wang Li, Tan Zhenghong, Liu Bingru, Xue Kun, Wang Youbao and Wang Hui, deliver their academic reports.

Dong Shikui, Zhang Zhen, Liu Manqiang and Li Xiaoling deliver their academic reports.

Hongyu, Li Shouzhong, Xiang Xianling, Wang Qiong and Li Xiaochun deliver their academic reports.

At the closing ceremony, Prof. Wu Wenliang gave a summary of the summit and shared and exchanged his thought on the content and form of the symposium, e.g. the question of integration of the cultivation of undergraduates and postgraduates of ecology and extension of the ranges of the symposium. At last, Prof. Wu Wenliang, on behalf of the hosting parties, affirmed the success of the symposium, thanked the attendees for their presence and wished the success of the next annual symposium of Ecological Society of China. Voted by the attendees of the symposium, the next annual symposium of Ecological Society of China will be held at Ningxia University in July, 2022.

Group photo