On November 3, 2009, Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology held award ceremony for Chinese Academy of Sciences Chair Professor in Albert Einstein. Commissioned by Chinese Academy of Sciences, deputy secretary of Party Committee and deputy director Wu Mingqi of Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology awarded Professor Gene E. Likens, an American scientist in ecosystem, Chair Professor in Albert Einstein at Chinese Academy of Sciences, certificated to and contracted with him.

After the awarding, professor Likens delivered an academic lecture Long-term Air-land-water Interactions: Assessing Human-accelerated Environmental Change, in which he introduced in-depth how ecological system has been changed under impact of human being and its principles. He also shared his valuable experiences and results in research with audiences. Later he conducted a discussion with all researchers and students attended, a warm, lively and pleasant discussion.

Dr. Likens, founder of Hubbard Brook Long-term Ecological Research Base, founder of the U.S. Institute of Ecosystem Studies, is now a researcher at Institute of Ecosystem Studies , professor at Yale University, Cornell University and the University of Connecticut. Dr. Likens owns worldwide fame in environmental science and limnology, owner of the Tyler Prize, Blue Planet Prize, the United States National Medal of Science, the Australian Science Award, and Naumann-Teniemenn Medal. Merely on Nature and Science journals he has published over 30 papers. For long-term study in ecosystems, Dr. Likens has founded river basin ecosystem research methodology, especially basin material cycle research methodology, which lays a good foundation for watershed ecology research. By making use of his model it is easy to reveal how land use, including deforestation and degradation of ecosystems, makes impact on ecosystems including aquatic ecosystems. So he contributed much to science of ecosystem. Professor Likens is also the discoverer of acid rain in North America, and ever conducted a long-term research on how acid rain makes impact on ecosystems. Under his study of circulating relationship amongst acid rain, calcium, aluminum and other elements, he revealed the diversity of impact on aquatic ecosystems and forest development principles.