PROF. DR. RUIJUN LONG

Areas of Expertise

Mountain ecological agriculture and food security; yak grazing behavior, rumen ecology, energy and nitrogen metabolism, animal products, animal welfare, alpine rangeland management, ecosystem services, and climate change and mitigation.

Brief Bio

Dr Ruijun LONG is currently a Distinguished Professor in Pastoral Science and Ecology at the School of Life Science, Lanzhou University and a Principal Research Scientist at the State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agroecosystems. He is the founding Director of International Centre for Tibetan Plateau Ecosystem Management, and Director of International Mountain Ecological Agricultural Hub of Gansu Province, Head of the Northwestern Office of CN-ICIMOD Committee, and the Ambassador for International Science and Technology Cooperation of Gansu Province for the Belt and Road Regions, International Advisory Committee Member for the International Conference on Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries, and an Associate Editor of Animal Nutrition (Q1, Elsevier).

He served as a Senior Ecologist and Theme Leader, Ecosystem Services, at International Center for Integrated Mountain development (ICIMOD), Nepal from 2016 to 2019. He was the Director of Science and Technology Research Department, Lanzhou University (2014-2016); the Executive Dean of Chuiying Honors College, Lanzhou University (2011-2014); Dean of Grassland Science College, Gansu Agricultural University (2000-2006); Dean, School of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University (2001-2005); the Professor of “Hundred Talent Program” of Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (2002-2006).

Dr. Long obtained his PhD degree at Gansu Agricultural University in 1995 and finished his Postdoc training at Rowett Research Institute of Scotland (1997-1999). During the past 30 years, Dr. Long served at Chinese universities, University of Western Australia, CAS and UK institutes and ICIMOD with significant research and teaching achievements on understanding the strategies of yaks and Tibetan sheep in adaptation to the highland environment, particular in facing nutrition stress, including grazing behavior, rumen ecology, energy and nitrogen metabolism, animal products, rangeland management, ecosystem services, and climate change and mitigation. Based on the above work, has written or edited 20 book chapters and books on pastoral, ecological and social sciences, and authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles on these topics, as well as supervising the graduation of over 100 MSc and PhD students.

Dr. Long used to hold two Chairs of National Undergraduate Education Steering Committee of Grassland Science and National Professional Master Training Steering Committee of Grassland Science. He was a member of the Scientific Leadership Committee for the Mountain Research Initiative. He was an Associate Editor for The Rangeland Journal (CSIRO) and Editor for Livestock Production Science (Elsevier). He has broad experience in coordination with the Chinese universities and CAS institutes, relevant government ministries and provincial governments, and research cooperation with South and Central Asian countries as well as international agencies such as IAEA, FAO, GEF, UNEP, EU, INRA and ICIMOD.