Publishing date: 25 August 2026 Immagine notizia Immagine Paragrafo Three meetings at three Chinese universities have opened up new prospects for international research collaboration on climate change at the University of Insubria, with a particular focus on mountain environments characterised by permafrost and on polar regions.The mission was led by Professors Mauro Guglielmin and Nicoletta Cannone, from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences and the Research Centre on Climate Change at the University of Insubria. The programme included visits to Peking University, Shanghai Normal University and, finally, Tongji University in Shanghai.The visits to Peking University and Shanghai Normal University followed invitations from Professors Xie Hu, of Peking University, and Fujun Niu, of Shanghai Normal University, both researchers specialising in permafrost and climate change. During the meetings, Guglielmin and Cannone gave two lectures on the University of Insubria’s research activities and its main research areas in mountain and polar environments. Immagine In Shanghai, the visit also provided an opportunity for a working day devoted to discussing a possible Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) between the institutions, with the aim of developing collaboration through the exchange of academic staff and students and the implementation of joint research projects on climate change in mountain areas affected by permafrost.This is a field in which the University of Insubria has established a strong international track record. Guglielmin and Cannone are among the leading researchers involved in studies of permafrost and polar ecosystems, including the «Permvegnet» project, dedicated to monitoring permafrost and vegetation in continental Antarctica, and the «Polar Insubria» project, coordinated by the Research Centre on Climate Change and focusing on the effects of climate change in polar regions. Immagine The group’s research also addresses the effects of global warming on Alpine environments and mountain permafrost. Recent studies include «Permaclim 2.0», which proposes a high-resolution model for mapping permafrost conditions in mountain regions, with particular attention to the Alps.The third stop on the mission was Tongji University in Shanghai, at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, where Professors Guglielmin and Cannone met Professor Zhibo Lu. The morning was devoted to a visit to the university’s facilities and discussions on possible joint projects, broadening the exchange to include research into the effects of climate change in polar regions.The activities carried out in China represent a further step in strengthening the University of Insubria’s international relations and building a network of scientific collaborations around one of the most important issues in contemporary environmental research: understanding how climate change is transforming mountain and polar ecosystems and what consequences these processes may have for the environment.