From left to right: Lin Zhao, Hongwei Xia, Kevin Moses, Gang Tian, Christopher Martin, Luis C. Ho, Xuebing Wu, Gregory Herczeg
Dr. Kevin Moses, Vice President for Science Programs at the Kavil Foundation, and Dr. Christopher Martin, Senior Science Program Officer Director, visited the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (KIAA-PKU) on 21 March 2019. This visit was Dr. Moses’s first since taking over as Vice President for Science Programs at the Kavil Foundation. Prof. Luis C. Ho and Associate Directors Prof. Xuebing Wu and Prof. Gregory Herczeg introduced Dr. Moses to the daily operation and management of KIAA.
During face-to-face discussions with many astronomy faculty, postdocs, and PhD students, Moses and Martin were impressed with the wide range and depth of exciting research at PKU. They noted that KIAA has ambitious researchers who are trying to solve the biggest questions that can be asked. The high profile that KIAA has in both the international and the domestic astronomical community is derived from the unique partnership between Peking University and the Kavli Foundation. Moses and Martin identified major new initiatives in China that, if led by KIAA, would help to secure the scientific impact of those initiatives while also establishing KIAA as a worldwide leader in astronomy.
In the afternoon, Vice President Tian welcomed Moses and Martin to PKU at the Lin Hu Xuan Meeting Hall, along Director of Office of International Relations Hongwei Xia, Vice Secretary General of Peking University Education Foundation Lin Zhao, Official of Division of Exchange Programs at Office of International Relations Zhe Cui, and KIAA Director Ho and Associate Directors Wu and Herczeg. Both Vice President Tian and Moses spoke highly of the past five years of development at KIAA, which along with the Department of Astronomy is the second strongest program in Asia and makes a strong impact worldwide. The group expressed a strong desire to further strengthen the collaboration between Peking University and the Kavli Foundation, with the aim of promoting KIAA further development as a first-rate astronomy institute worldwide.
Vice President of Peking University Prof. Gang Tian presents gifts to Dr. Kevin Moses, Vice President for Science Programs at the Kavil Foundation.
