On the morning of June 5, 2026, the signing and unveiling ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the Northwest Institute of Ecology, Environmental Resources, China Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Earth Environment, China Academy of Sciences to jointly build the Loess Science Branch of the National Glacier, Permafrost and Desert Scientific Data Center was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. More than 20 experts and scholars, including Academician Feng Qi, President of the Northwest Institute of Ecology, Environmental Resources, China Academy of Sciences, Researcher Sun Youbin, Director of the Institute of Earth Environment, China Academy of Sciences, Researcher Yan Youhua, Director of the National Glacier, Permafrost and Desert Scientific Data Center, attended the ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Researcher Wang Yunqiang, Director of the Important Affairs Office of the Institute of Earth Environment. Academician Feng Qi said that scientific data is a national strategic resource, geoscience research has fully entered a new stage of data-driven, and the fifth paradigm of artificial intelligence-driven science is also rapidly emerging. The National Science Data Center is not only the core node of the national data infrastructure, but also a key node supporting the transformation of the scientific paradigm. By gathering high-quality scientific data and opening up barriers to cross-department collaboration, it ensures the strategic aggregation and reserve of scientific data, provides high-quality services, and empowers Scientific progress and social development. It is hoped that the two sides will strengthen cooperation between field stations in the future to form an observation and research alliance; strengthen data sharing cooperation and create a brand database; jointly carry out scientific research in the Yellow River Basin to jointly promote ecological protection and high-quality development in the entire Yellow River Basin. Researcher Sun Youbin extended a warm welcome to all experts at the ceremony and expressed sincere thanks to Northwestern Research Institute for its long-term support and cooperation. He pointed out that glaciers, permafrost deserts are closely related to loess science and have distinctive scientific data in the fields of global climate change, soil erosion prevention and control, and watershed ecological management. The two sides complement each other's resources and have outstanding advantages. The joint construction of the loess science sub-center is in line with the country. A pragmatic move to share scientific data, promote the transformation of the new paradigm of AI for Science scientific research, and serve the major strategies of ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin. Director Yan Youhua of the National Glacier, Frozen Soil and Desert Scientific Data Center introduced the development trend of scientific data and the construction process of the data center. Director Feng Keting of the Loess Science Data Center gave a special report on the progress of the center's construction, the uniqueness of data resources and high-quality data sharing services. At the ceremony, the two sides signed a joint construction cooperation agreement and unveiled the Loess Science Branch of the National Glacier, Frozen Soil and Desert Scientific Data Center. The next step will be to promote the aggregation and sharing of loess related scientific data resources to the general center, carry out data integration and mining, and promote major scientific discoveries; and carry out cooperation in talent training, academic exchanges, project competition, and achievement promotion and application around the research direction of loess science.