The International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) held its XXI Congress on 14-20 July 2023 in Rome, Italy, which is the main event for global quaternary research every four years. The Association for Trans-Eurasia Exchange and Silk Road Civilization Development (ATES), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Lanzhou University jointly convened two sessions during the congress.

Prof. Fahu Chen of ATES Chair and Prof. Dongju Zhang of Lanzhou University co-chaired a session titled "The Environment Background and Human Adaptations During the Transition or Shift from Archaic Humans to Modern Humans in East Asia" on July 15, 2023. Prof Robin Dennell, a world-renowned archaeologist and member of the British Academy, Prof Thijs Van Kolfschoten, President of INQUA, Prof. Fahu Chen, and Prof. Dongju Zhang were among the 21 brilliant speakers from the UK, Netherlands, China, Denmark, and the United States who delivered a series of academic talks. The session was also attended by Prof. Michael Meadows, President of the IGU (International Geographical Union).

Prof. Juzhi Hou of ITPCAS and Prof. Xiaoyan Yang of Lanzhou University co-chaired a session titled "Human-Environmental Interactions Along the Ancient Silk Roads" in the morning of July 18, 2023, and 7 experts from China, Australia, France, India, and the United States of America were invited to give presentations. Prof. Lin Ding, Director of the Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment, and Resources (TPESER) Key Laboratory, attended this session.

This INQUA Congress in Rome is the first major global event for Quaternary research since the pandemic, and two sessions organized by ATES brought more than 200 participants. They engaged in lively discussions regarding key ATES scientific issues such as the evolution and adaptation of archaic to modern humans, the interaction between environmental changes and the development of human civilization along the Silk Road et al. The successful hosting of these two sessions is crucial for developing collaborative networks and increasing the visibility of ATES on other international platforms.