Prof. Xing Yaowu, deputy director of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), headed up a 5-person group to the University of Tasmania and the University of Western Sydney in Australia on invitation from May 7-16. The visit was to seek deeper and further cooperation with Australian partners. 

Prof.Tim Brodribb, an academician of the Australian Academy of Sciences and a professor at the School of Life Sciences of the University of Tasmania, introduced the latest advancements and methods in plant water relations research. Prof. Chen Yajun of XTBG made a report about the PIFI project. 

Afterwards, XTBG researchers visited the plant water laboratory, plant greenhouse complex, and tree species transplantation experiment research platforms of the  University of Tasmania. Both sides reached a consensus on future deep collaboration in scientific research and talent cultivation. 

XTBG researchers then visited the Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment (HIE) at the University of Western Sydney, where they had exchanges with globally influential experts in the field of ecology. They also visited HIE's global change research platforms including EucFACE, Whole Tree Chambers, Pastures and Climate Extremes (PACE). 

Profs. Xing Yaowu and Fan Zexin introduced the scientific research progress made by XTBG in recent years, expressing a hope for strengthened exchanges between researchers and promoting cooperation in areas such as global change simulation experiments and ecological process models. 

 Both sides held in-depth discussions on joint graduate training, mutual visits of researchers, and sharing of research platforms, unanimously agreeing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after refining the content of the agreement. 

During the visit, Chen Yajun was invited to give a lecture at HIE titled "Plant Water Relations under Climate Change in Southwest China", with more than 60 people including the main scientific researchers and graduate students of HIE participating in the exchange. 

The visit promoted collaboration and exchange between XTBG and the University of Tasmania and the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University in research areas such as forest ecosystems and global climate change. 

Communicating with Australian researchers. 

Visiting HIE's global change research platforms including EucFACE and Tree Chambers 

Academic reports.