According to institute head Tadej Slabe, the agreement is an important acknowledgement for Slovenian karstology.

"For almost 20 years, we have been cooperating in different projects with Chinese karstologists, researching the karst there, especially in the Yunan province, and publishing our findings in scientific publications, but we have also published two books about South China Karst," Slabe told the STA.

He explained that they want to upgrade this cooperation and eventually extend postgraduate karst studies to China.

In cooperation with the Yunan university, an international centre for karst research was set up in Yunan capital Kunming, as part of which a karst environment laboratory is being arranged.

"First, we wish to open a few study slots under our organisation in this centre and later we wish to develop studies in connection with Chinese karstologists," Slabe said.

Slovenian karst researchers have been invited to cooperation by the Stone Forest tourist centre due to their world-acclaimed research achievements and they have helped the centre get the site that attracts around 3.5 million visitors a year on the UNESCO world heritage list.

Slabe further explained that the centre wishes for sustainable development, keeping its environment as natural as possible, while also presenting it better to tourists using the achievements of Slovenian researchers.