The Sino-French International Research Network on Biodiversity (SF-IRN-B) held its first Summer School in Yunnan from October 12 to 22. The theme of the summer school is “Biodiversity conservation: innovative pathways for a sustainable future”.
The event was hosted by Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), aiming to enhance the research capabilities and global perspectives of early-career scientists in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The opening ceremony was held at Kunming Institute Botany (KIB) of CAS on October 13, with presence of its deputy director and other experts.
The key lecturers of the summer school include Prof.Tristan Dominique, Prof. David Giron, Prof. Caroline Habold, Prof. CHEN Jin, and others.
The 11-day program brought together 24 outstanding young researchers from 12 member institutions of the SF-IRN-B. Through a rich schedule of expert lectures, field excursions, interactive discussions, and cultural activities, participants delved into critical topics including global conservation status, regional practices, cutting-edge technology applications, ecosystem monitoring, and community involvement in protection efforts.
The participants were brought across diverse ecosystems in Yunnan, spanning temperate, subtropical, and tropical zones. They had field visits in the Ailao Mountains Forest Ecosystem Research Station and the Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem Station of CAS, Kunming Botanical Garden, Jingdong Subtropical Botanical Garden, Kunming Museum of Zoology, as well as community-led conservation projects and sustainable agriculture demonstration sites managed by XTBG.
Interactive sessions such as "World Café" discussions, role-playing debates, SWOT analyses, "Focus Group" interviews, and collaborative biodiversity surveys fostered dynamic dialogue between participants and leading experts, exploring innovative solutions to pressing conservation challenges.
The closing ceremony was held at XTBG on October 20. Mr. Ru Zhitao from CAS Bureau of International Cooperation congratulated all parties on the successful completion of the summer school and affirmed continued support for SF-IRN-B's academic exchange initiatives.
Prof. Xing Yaowu, director of XTBG, encouraged the participants to view the summer school as a starting point for transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration. He urged them to champion global biodiversity research cooperation, shoulder the responsibility of communicating hope through science, and warmly invited them to consider XTBG a future academic home.
ABOUT
The Sino-French International Research Network on Biodiversity is led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), with both China and France establishing two centers each, north and south. The Chinese side relies on the Institute of Zoology, CAS (Northern Center) and the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (Southern Center), while the French side relies on the Hubert Curien Multidisciplinary Institute of Strasbourg University (Northern Center) and the Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology of Montpellier University (Southern Center).
Prof. CHEN Jin serves as director of the southern center of the Sino-French International Research Network on Biodiversity (SF-IRN-B).
Opening ceremony at KIB.
At Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem Station .
At community-led conservation projects and sustainable agriculture demonstration sites managed by XTBG
At Ailao Mountains Forest Ecosystem Research Station.
