NewsINBAR and NSFC sign pact to boost scientific collaboration
INBAR and China’s premier science funder have cemented a new partnership to strengthen research and scientific cooperation on bamboo and rattan.
On 1 December 2025, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing, officially initiating a new chapter of scientific and technological collaboration. Professor Jiang Zehui, Co-Chair of the INBAR Board of Trustees, and Professor Dou Xiankang, President of the NSFC, attended the signing ceremony and held talks.
Jiang expressed gratitude for the warm reception and thoughtful arrangements by the NSFC and provided an overview of INBAR’s recent history. She highlighted that, as the world’s only intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable utilization of bamboo and rattan resources, INBAR has grown over nearly three decades into a leading international cooperation platform with 52 Member States and 3 Observer countries, while also holding permanent observer status at the United Nations (UN). Jiang emphasized that collaboration with the NSFC will significantly advance fundamental research in the bamboo and rattan sectors, accelerate talent development and produce high-quality research outcomes, thereby providing robust scientific and technological support for the high-quality development of the global bamboo and rattan industry. Additionally, such cooperation will contribute China’s expertise and solutions toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dou extended a warm welcome to the delegation for their visit and participation in the signing ceremony. He emphasized that the NSFC consistently adheres to the principle of open cooperation and regards international collaboration as a key strategic priority. By deepening bilateral and multilateral exchanges, the NSFC is committed to building a globally oriented research-funding ecosystem. He underscored that INBAR, as the first intergovernmental scientific organization headquartered in China, has actively promoted the integration of bamboo and rattan technologies into global ecological governance since its establishment in 1997, achieving significant results in supporting regional poverty alleviation and green growth. Dou further expressed the NSFC’s strong commitment to strategic partnerships with international scientific organizations and looked forward to collaborating with INBAR in establishing a high-level international platform. Such collaboration, he noted, would harness scientific and technological innovation to advance sustainable development regionally and globally, thereby contributing to the formation of a global community of scientific and technological innovation.
At the meeting, Dr. Zhang Dongsheng, Deputy Director General of INBAR, provided a comprehensive overview of INBAR’s development history, organizational structure and notable accomplishments in global bamboo and rattan resource governance. Dr. Fan Yingjie, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation of the NSFC, outlined NSFC’s approach to international cooperation and exchange programs, as well as the implementation progress of the “Science Plan for International Partnership on Sustainable Development (SDIC),” which is an initiative designed to engage global partners in conducting research addressing worldwide challenges and advancing the UN SDGs. Both sides held in-depth discussions on enhancing scientific collaboration and jointly addressing global issues such as climate change and biodiversity conservation. They also reached consensus on prioritizing the conservation and utilization of bamboo and rattan germplasm resources as a key area for future cooperation.
Also present at the meeting and signing ceremony were Ms. Li Lan, Director of INBAR’s Department of External Relations and Partnership, and representatives from the Bureau of International Cooperation of the NSFC.
