The Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-SEABRI) held its annual academic meeting 2025 at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) on March 14-16. The meeting aimed to to review progress, plan future initiatives, and strengthen regional collaborations in biodiversity research and conservation.
At the opening ceremony, Ms. Gong Haihua, director of the Asia-Africa Division of the CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, underscored the critical role of SEABRI's three-year strategic roadmap. She urged SEABRI to prioritize its three core missions outlined in its mandate—scientific exploration, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development—to deliver "more, greater, and influencial outcomes."
Prof. XING Yaowu, director of XTBG, made work progress reports in 2024 and deployed work in 2025. He highlighted SEABRI's achievements since its establishment, including landmark scientific expeditions in Myanmar, Laos, and neighboring regions. He reaffirmed XTBG’s commitment to pooling resources to elevate SEABRI into a world-class research platform that advances ecological protection and sustainable development across Southeast Asia.
The Academic Committee, with academician Xu Zhihong as chairman, evaluated updates from six core research teams and three international partnership programs, and selected three proposed collaborative projects for endorsement. The experts also discussed and made suggestions on future scientific research layouts and key work planning of SEABRI.
In his closing remarks, Academician Xu Zhihong acknowledged SEABRI’s resilience in overcoming challenges to gain international recognition. He called for intensified focus on "conservation and sustainable utilization" of biodiversity, leveraging Yunnan’s unique ecological and geographical advantages.
The annual meeting was attended by over 40 researchers and representatives from CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, XTBG, Institute of Botany, Institute of Microbiology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Institute of Aquatic Biology, etc.
Annual academic meeting 2025 of SEABRI
Participants pose a photo.
