Prof. Sonja C. Jähnig, Professor at Humboldt University of Berlin and Acting Director of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), visited the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for academic exchange on May 14, 2026. (Credit: IHB)

On the morning of May 14, 2026, Prof. Sonja C. Jähnig, Professor at Humboldt University of Berlin and Acting Director of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), visited the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for academic exchange. She delivered a lecture titled "Global change impacts on freshwater ecosystems" to IHB researchers and graduate students.

At the beginning of her presentation, Prof. Jähnig reflected on her more than 20 years of close collaboration and friendship with IHB. She then briefly introduced the organizational structure and research mission of IGB. Her presentation systematically addressed the ecological importance of freshwater ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide, with a particular focus on pressing threats such as connectivity loss and land-use change. Drawing on long-term monitoring data from multiple case studies in Europe, she illustrated both the progress and the challenges in the restoration of freshwater biodiversity.

Prof. Jähnig further discussed cutting-edge topics, including changes at the land-water interface, systematic conservation of large freshwater animals, and the impacts of human activities on freshwater ecosystems. She shared recent research findings from her team and engaged in lively academic discussion with the audience.

Prof. Sonja C. Jähnig serves as a member of the Academic Committee for Biodiversity Conservation at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) and a member of the Freshwater Conservation Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Her research focuses on the impacts of global environmental change on freshwater ecosystems, and she has made systematic and innovative contributions to the understanding of freshwater biodiversity patterns and their driving mechanisms, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration.