2022 BRICS Network University Annual Conference and International Symposium on “Countermeasures for Future Earth: Carbon Neutralization and Climate Change Response” ( Ecological and Climate Change Sub-forum) were successfully held online from April 20th to 21st. The forum was jointly organized NEFU College of Forestry and the International Cooperation Office. Twelve experts and scholars from nine universities including People's Friendship University of Russia, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, East China Normal University, Beijing Normal University, Hainan University, Hohai University and Northeast Forestry University gave detailed reports at the conference. More than 100 experts and scholars from members of the BRICS Network of universities from countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa attended the sub-forum.

BRICS Network University was established at the 7th Summit of BRICS Leaders in July 2015. It mainly conducts exchanges and seminars in six priority areas of cooperation, such as energy, computer science and information security, BRICS research, ecology and climate change, water resources and pollution control, and economics. It is currently China's term in the rotating presidency of BRICS in 2022. From April 20th to 21st, 2022, the annual meeting of BRICS Network Universities was held in Beijing in a combination of online and offline ways. Themed by "Building a first-class partnership between universities to help the sustainable development of BRICS countries", this annual meeting sets up a main forum and parallel sub-forums around the above six priority areas of cooperation to jointly enhance higher education cooperation and sustainable development in BRICS countries. NEFU hosted the sub-forum on ecology and climate change for this annual meeting.

The sub-forum on ecological climate change was held on April 20th, and the meeting was presided over by Professor Zhou Xuhui from the Ecological Research Center of the NEFU College of Forestry. Professor Zhou gave a brief introduction to the main theme of the conference, and expressed his gratitude to the participating experts and delegates. Later, Professor Nie Ming from the School of Life Sciences of Fudan University gave a wonderful report on the impact of wetland microbial methane emissions on global warming and its mechanisms. Taking People's Friendship University of Russia as an example, Professor Margarita Redina, who worked in the university, shared with us in detail the measures in terms of the practice, research and education taken by Russian universities under the context of carbon neutrality strategy. Professor Luo Zhongkui from the School of Environment and Resources of Zhejiang University shared the research on the sensitivity of deep soil carbon to climate change. Professor Zhou Zhenghu, Professor Chen Hongyang, and Associate Professor Hu Tongxin from the NEFU College of Forestry shared with us the model of the soil carbon cycle, the thermal adaptability of wetland soil microbes to emit methane, and the impact of fire on the forest ecosystem carbon cycle.

The meeting on April 21st was presided over by Professor Wang Xiaochun from the Ecological Research Center of the NEFU College of Forestry. Professor Jose Otavio from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro gave a wonderful presentation on the monitoring and protection system of tropical rain forest in Brazil. Professor Deng Jie from School of Ecology and Environment of East China Normal University shared the research on the effects of long-term drought on soil microbial communities and related carbon cycle processes. Professor Zhu Qiu 'an of Hainan University gave a report on the influence of total primary productivity of land to extreme climate events on a global scale.

On April 21st, after the sub-forum was finished, Professor Zhou Xuhui gave a summary report at the main venue of the 2022 BRICS Network University Annual Meeting. Professor Zhou said that the sub-forum on ecology and climate change has carried out 12 categories of reports themed by "Countermeasures for future Earth: Carbon Neutralization and Climate Change Response", with more than 100 people participating in the sub-forum and having lively discussions. The successful convening of the sub-forum on ecological climate change not only provides valuable communication opportunities for experts and scholars from member units of BRICS Network University, but also provides a new way for cooperation and communication on the theme of carbon neutrality and climate change.