Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGLAS), formerly Geography Institute of China, was founded in Beibei, Chongqing in August 1940. It is the only institute specializing in the research of lake-basin system in China and was ever directed by Huang Bingwei, Ren Meie, and Zhou Lisan who are Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Academician at different time in its history.
The strategic goals of NIGLAS: 1) Research will focus on lake resources and environment as well as regional sustainable development based on the exploration of process and structure of lake (including artificial lakes and reservoirs)-basin system and their interactions driven by natural and human activities. 2) The institute will be developed to be a world-wide center for limnological research and training with remarkable subject integrated superiority, outstanding regional feature, and knowledge inovation system, center for research on lake resource utilization and environmental engineering and technology, and center for policy consultation on sustainable development of developed cities.
Research fields in NIGLAS include: lake environment protection and resources utilization, lake-basin system evolution and manipulation, and regional sustainable development with focus on lake sediment and environment evolution, lake hydrology and water resources, lake biology and ecology, lake environment and engineering, lake-basin process and manipulation, resources and environment of basin and regional development, as well as lake-basin monitoring and digital basin. Currently, there are four research departments in NIGLAS: State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Research Center of Lake Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Research Center of Regional Development and Planning, and Lake Field Observation and Data Center (including: Taihu Lake Ecosystem Research Station, Poyang Lake Wetland Integrated Research Station, Fuxian Lake Plateau-Deep-Lake Research Station and Lake-basin Data Integration and Simulation Center).
Now, there are 220 staff members in total, including one academician of CAS, 39 professors, 78 associate professors and senior engineers. NIGLAS has established an education system consisting of a postdoctoral research station of geography, four Ph.D programs (Physical Geography, Human Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information System, Environmental Science) and five Master's programs (Physical Geography, Human Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information System, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering). Currently, there are more than 20 post-doctors and 150 Master's and Ph.D. students studying at NIGLAS.