On December 25^th, 2011, the 6th Beijing Geography Postgraduate Students Forum was held in Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), CAS. The forum focuses on geography. More than 200 postgraduate students from IGSNRR, Peking University, Beijing Normal University, Capital Normal University take part in this forum.

 In every forum, high profile geography professors are invited for giving keynote address and reviewing papers submitted by postgraduate students. The key aim of Beijing Geography Postgraduate Students Forum is at providing platform for geography postgraduate students to develop and share ideas, to learn from outstanding experts in geography, and to understand current trend in geography development.

Mr. LIU Changming presenting in the Forum

In the forum, LIU Changming, Academician of CAS and Prof. ZHONG Ershun are invited to give keynote address. In the address "Methodologies in geography research", Mr. LIU shared his ideas and methods in geography researches; and In the address "Impacts of IT on geography", Mr. ZHONG stated the relationship between IT and geography and emphasized the challenges of future geography research and education. Mr. ZHONG emphasized severe challenge met in Chinese geography circles, while IT brings new opportunities for geography. Our spatial thinking is weak, without sufficient understanding in the situation of world geography.　

Prof. ZHONG Ershunpresents his report

In the sub-forums held in the afternoon, 21 reports were given by postgraduate students in physical geography, GIS, RS, Human geography, resources, environment, ecology etc.. Some professors from different research field shared their ideas and opinions on the speakers' papers and researches with these students. Exchanges and discussion focusing on hot topics, i.e. urban security, inhabitant outgoing, Chinese urbanization, ecological economy and environmental health are carried out. Precious suggestions and opinions from experts are offered. The atmospheres in the forum is active and vivid, everyone speaks what he wants.

The national geography postgraduate students union is the first national postgraduate exchange organization. Since the establishment in 2005, 6 academic annual meetings and 6 Beijing postgraduate students geography forums have been successfully held.