On April 14, 2026, the MAC-AIR Center (Max Planck-Asia Center) was inaugurated at the Miyun Campus of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The Center's name reflects its mission: unraveling the nexus of air pollution, extreme weather, and monsoon in a warming climate—pathways to global solutions.

The Center is a joint initiative of the Max Planck Society (Germany), CAS (China), the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India), and the University of Helsinki (Finland). Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society and HE Hongping, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly unveiled the plaque. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by JIANG Dabang Director-General of IAP.

Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society and He Hongping, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly unveiled the plaque (Image by IAP)

Co-directors of the MAC-AIR Center, Yafang CHENG (Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry) and SU Hang (Director of the State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Extreme Meteorology) at IAP/CAS, representatives from the Max Planck Society's International Relations Department, the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and the University of Helsinki, along with the head of CAS's International Cooperation Bureau and key research staff from IAP attended the ceremony.

Group photo (Image by IAP)

The Center aims to provide a scientific basis for formulating more effective response measures for air pollution and climate change, as well as enhancing extreme weather prediction capabilities, through research on the feedback mechanisms between aerosols, clouds and radiation. The establishment of the center reflects the firm determination of all parties to join hands in addressing global challenges in the field of atmospheric sciences.

Following the inauguration ceremony, attendees visited the MAC-AIR Center's office space and the "EarthLab"— a major national science and technology infrastructure. Participants exchanged views on the latest research progress in the mechanisms of thunderstorms and lightning, their artificial intervention, and artificial intelligence-driven forecasting models.

The inauguration of the MAC-AIR Center marks a key outcome of the 2024 CAS-Max Planck 50th anniversary celebrations and high-level dialogue, turning that momentum into concrete cooperation. Taking this opportunity, IAP will deepen cooperation with its partner institutions, contributing scientific and technological expertise to global environmental governance and extreme weather response.