In November 2025, a delegation of professors and technicians from Feng Chia University in Taiwan visited the National Research Council as part of the Bilateral Agreement CNR-NSTC/Taiwan project, funded by the CNR and coordinated by Alessandro Mei (CNR-IIA) and Gaia Vaglio Laurin (CNR-IRET). The bilateral agreement is dedicated to strengthening joint research activities in the field of environmental monitoring.
The main objectives of the project concern the exchange of researchers and professors for collaborative research activities and joint conferences, and the sharing of scientific information, publications, and technical materials. As part of the project, CNR staff have already been on a mission to Taiwan (June 2025).
The meeting at the CNR-IIA and the Regional Research Campus of Rome 1 allowed for a technical discussion on advanced wetland monitoring methodologies, water resource management, and the application of remote sensing techniques, including a drone flight test. At the CNR-IRET laboratories, researchers and technicians, including Bruno De Cinti, Serena Carloni, and Candy Herrera, illustrated techniques for monitoring trees and forest biodiversity.
The Feng Chia University delegation had the opportunity to visit the Tevere-Farfa Nature Reserve. Here, our Taiwanese colleagues were welcomed by the park director, Marco Petrelli, and the scientific director, Christian Angelici, for a technical meeting. The visit then continued at the River Museum in Nazzano, as part of the in-depth activities on wetland management, where the museum director, Umberto Pessolano, illustrated the geology and biodiversity related to the Tiber River.
Finally, the delegation was invited by the LIFE SPAN project, coordinated by Bruno De Cinti, to the Cansiglio Orientale Forest in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, where they discussed biodiversity, microhabitats, and dead wood in the forest.
Further exchange activities are planned for 2026, including the sharing and joint analysis of data acquired through remote sensing, and a final workshop at the CNR in June 2026.
“It was a real honor to welcome the delegation of professors and technicians from Feng Chia University in Taiwan, commented the CNR researchers. This prestigious institution actively collaborates with the Taiwanese government on crucial projects involving the monitoring and management of wetlands and natural resources, with a focus on watershed management and water resources. We firmly believe that this spirit of international collaboration is the solid foundation on which to build effective environmental policies at all levels”.
