ABOARD XUELONG, July 13 (Xinhua) -- An opening ceremony of China's first "North Pole University" was held on Sunday aboard the ship Xuelong during China's third scientific expedition to the North Pole.

    The Principal of the North Pole University Zhang Haisheng, also chief scientist of China's third expedition team to the Arctic, said the university will invite experts in various fields in the expedition team to teach team members professional knowledge such North Pole ocean biology, ocean chemistry and Earth physics through forums or lectures to promote communication and exchange among different fields.

    The third scientific expedition team to the North Pole has 122 team members, including 61 scientific researchers, 39 crew members, and 22 logistics staff and reporters. Zhang said the North Pole University welcomes every member to attend the university and possibly gain a North Pole University graduation certificate.

    This is the first time the Chinese North Pole expedition launches the North Pole University, which will provide a platform for team members to learn and exchange experiences, according to team leader Yuan Shaohong.

    China launched its third scientific expedition to the North Pole on Friday. The expedition has two major objectives, to further identify the drastic environmental changes at the Pole, and to study the climate, economic and social impacts of environmental changes in the North Pole on China.