On April 21, the International Soil Erosion Network (INSER) under the framework of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held its first working meeting online. At the meeting, Professor Baoyuan Liu from the Faculty of Geographical Science at Beijing Normal University (BNU) was elected as the chair of INSER's First Technical Working Group, where he will take the lead in the global work of "Monitoring, Modelling and Mapping" in the field of soil erosion. This marks an important milestone in the deep participation of Chinese scholars in global cooperation on soil erosion governance.

The meeting was hosted by FAO’s Land and Water Division and brought together approximately 484 representatives from 114 countries across the world's seven regions, including Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East and North Africa, and the Pacific. In his campaign presentation, Liu Baoyuan systematically outlined his working vision, which received broad recognition from the participants.

INSER is an important platform for advancing international cooperation on soil erosion under the framework of the FAO Global Soil Partnership. It was approved by the GSP Plenary Assembly in June 2025 and officially launched in September of the same year. The network aims to bring together scientists, policymakers, and institutions of all kinds to strengthen soil erosion assessment, promote conservation measures, advance economic valuation, and improve relevant policies and regulations. The First Technical Working Group established on this occasion will focus on soil erosion monitoring technologies, model development, and mapping, and will organize global surveys and assessments of soil erosion, methodological coordination, data sharing, and the application of research outcomes.

Professor Liu Baoyuan has long been engaged in research on the mechanisms, modelling, and monitoring of soil erosion and land degradation, and is widely recognized for his deep academic expertise. His election not only reflects the broad recognition of Beijing Normal University's academic influence and organizational capacity in this field, but also further enhances China's voice in global scientific research and international cooperation on soil erosion.