受中国科学院国际人才计划（PIFI）国际博士后项目的资助，来自尼日利亚的Lekan Faboya博士于2018年6月-2020年6月到中国科学院广州地球化学研究所在廖泽文研究员的指导下从事博士后工作，主要研究内容是研究页岩油气中沉积环境和干酪根地球化学性质的影响。以下是他的感想。

A Fulfilling and Exciting Experience

Dr. Lekan Faboya and Professor Zewen Liao, his supervisor at GIG

What is your feeling from having obtained the CAS-PIFI?
I feel quite more equipped and prepared to take up my responsibilities back home in Nigeria in the university where I am currently a lecturer. The CAS-PIFI postdoctoral experience has exposed me to several new research skills and broadened my research areas. I intend to explore some of these new research areas further by engaging my students in thought provoking academic discussion on relevant topics in the field of Organic Geochemistry and follow it up with problem solving research project in the areas. I think this is just the beginning of my contribution towards a better society through groundbreaking scientific research.

What was your experience working at/with CAS?
Let me start by expressing my profound appreciation to the Chinese Academy of Sciences for the Post-doctoral Fellowship awarded to me under the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) for Postdoctoral Researchers (grant no. 2018PM0058). This Fellowship afforded me the opportunity to work with state of the art equipment at the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG), Guangzhou, China between June 2018 and May 2020.

It was a fulfilling and exciting experience working in an environment conducive to research and learning like GIG. I must confess with a high sense of humility that GIG is a world of scientific ideas with experts working at the cutting edge of knowledge. I am glad to have passed through this great institution.

I have enjoyed an excellent and cordial relationship with my host supervisor, Prof. Zewen Liao. His numerous contributions toward the successful completion of the postdoctoral work and for making life comfortable for me in China cannot be over-emphasized. I lack adequate words to express the sense of gratitude to him for his kindness and love towards me. I am forever grateful to you sir. The students in Prof. Liao’s group at the Institute were fantastic for their various assistance and love shown to me.

The diverse contributions of all the entire staff of GIG (researchers, technicians and administrative staff) towards my successful stay in GIG are well acknowledged. Special thanks to Miss Wu Mandy for her numerous assistance and guidance received during the stay, particularly in helping with several documentations and information dissemination.

What was your experience of living in China?

Guangzhou being one of the country’s first-tier cities remains one of the most active, fascinating and exciting places to be in the world. The beautiful scenes, good transportation system, and several modes of payment systems ordinarily make China an appealing place to live. My stay in China was an eye-opener to how much could be done using social media, especially WeChat, in information dissemination and business transactions. This has positively affected China. Many tasks could be done with great efficiency and effectiveness within a short time. From my experience, I could see that the Chinese government and of course, the people, have worked very hard in overcoming most common challenges facing many other parts of the world in the most important sectors. For example, there is absolute food security in China. Despite the huge population, food is not a problem at all. I really enjoyed the varieties of foods, fruits and vegetables available here in China, which I will definitely miss. 

What is the most productive, impressive or rewarding work you have done with CAS?
Within the period of two-year of undertaking the postdoctoral studies in GIG, I have co-authored nine (9) publications up to date in reputable international journals and out of which I am the first author in two (2) of the articles. In addition, more than two papers' (2) manuscripts are under review while at least two (2) more are under preparation. These articles are expected to be published in high impact factor journals. Again, I was a keynote speaker at the 10th Biannual International Conference on Petroleum and Exploration in the Afro-Asian Region (AAAPG) that took place between May 10 - 12, 2019 at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, China. Part of the projects supported by the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) was presented on May 11. The paper titled: Characteristic and Dominant Controlling Factor of Deltaic Shale and Coal from Mamu Formation, Anambra Basin, Nigeria, was adjudged as one of the best oral presentations. 

What are your views on and suggestions for the development of CAS?
CAS has been at the forefront of encouraging international collaboration among scholars by funding the research stay of foreign experts and students in many of their institutes in China. This has greatly enriched the learning and to some extent, fosters a diverse institutional working environment. However, CAS could go a step further by recruiting more foreign experts into the CAS institutes to assist in training the students, especially the international students being admitted into their institutes. Again, scholarships could be provided to the children of foreign experts working in CAS institutes who are in elementary classes in international schools in China. This would assist in offsetting the exorbitant tuition fees of these international schools.

What are your expectations for future collaboration with CAS?
I am looking forward to a long standing and research collaboration with Prof. Zewen Liao at the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS. International research cooperation may also be established between my university in Nigeria and State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS, in the nearest future.