Prof. Chen Jin headed up a 7-person group to the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) at San Jose in Costa Rica during June 16 and 22. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) and Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) XTBG has made enormous efforts to expand its influence on biodiversity conservation in Asia by conducting program for field studies in tropical Asia, recruiting graduate students from Southeastern Asian countries, and hosting international conferences, etc. In 2012, Prof. Cao Min visited USA at the invitation of Dr. Bill Chang, a regional coordinator of the National Science Foundation of USA. He reached cooperation intentions with OTS. 

According to the MoU, XTBG and OTS agree to join efforts oriented to increase their scientific technical cooperation; cooperation between the two sides will be implemented through reciprocal visits by members of OTS and XTBG to support the development of collaborative efforts to support education, training and research opportunities; each party will designate a representative to the directors of each institution, who will be responsible for proposing specific activities tube implemented under the MoU, identifying resources to support the activities, and coordinating the administration of the agreement.  

The agreement will be valid for a period of four years and will automatically be renewed for a period of two years.  

The XTBG delegation to OTS was composed of Chen Jin, Cao Min, Fan Zexin, and others.  

Dr.Elizabeth Losos, president of Organization for Tropical Studies , is giving an introduction

Dr. Chen Jin is giving a brief introduction to XTBG

Dr.Elizabeth Losos and Dr.Chen Jin are signing the MoU

Presenting gifts of Yunnan characteristics to OTS