A few months after the establishment of the IOC Regional Training and Research Center on Ocean Dynamics and Climate, IOC and First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Fangli Qiao as the Director of the Center for a period of four years.

Professor Fangli Qiao, also serving as the Deputy Director General of the FIO, holds a PhD from the Chinese Institute of Oceanography (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and has been widely recognized as one of leading scientists in ocean dynamics and climate in the Western Pacific Region. He is specialized in Ocean mixing process, the Atmosphere-wave-tide-circulation coupled numerical model, Ocean general and coastal circulations, and Marine ecosystem dynamics.

The IOC Regional Training and Research Center was established through one agreement between IOC and FIO at the 8th Intergovernmental Session of IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific, 10-13 May 2010 in Bali, Indonesia. The Center aims to improve the regional capacity and capability on oceanography more systematically and sustainably, through the establishment of regional training and research centers within national oceanographic institutes and universities. It will provide regular training, once a year on ocean dynamics, air-sea interaction, and numerical modeling, to young scientists, particularly from developing member states in the region on a free-of-charge basis.

Along with his knowledge, Professor Fangli Qiao will bring his leadership and enthusiasm for international collaboration to make the center a successful platform for young scientists in the region.