A delegation of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) paid a special visit to the Natural History Museum in London (NHM) on June 28th, 2010, where the hosts showed the museum’s precious fossil collections, palaeontology-related research facilities, and exhibitions. Friendly discussions on the two organizations’ research directions, infrastructure and public outreach programs were conducted at a meeting between the hosts and the visitors. Finally, a Memorandum of Understanding in Palaeontological Cooperations between NIGPAS and NHM were signed by Yang Qun (Director of NIGPAS) and Norman MacLeod (Keeper of Palaeontology, NHM) on the behalf of the two research organizations. Both parties expressed enthusiasm for future collaborations in research, training next generation palaeontologists, technical exchanges and public programs.
The NIGPAS delegation included Yang Qun, Wang Xiangdong (Vice Director), Shen Shuzhong (Head of State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy), Wang Jun (Head of Department of Palaeobotany and Palynology), and NIGPAS visiting scientists Rong Jiayu and Zhang Yuandong at NHM. Participating NHM hosts are Norman MacLeod, Paul Kenrick (Head of Research), Martin Munt (Collections Manager Invertebrates and Plants), Martha Richter (Collections Manager Vertebrates and Micro-fossils), and scientists Robin Cocks, Richard Fortey, Angela Milner and Greg Edgecombe.
NHM and NIGPAS are both major Palaeontological research centers in the world. The two have a long history of cooperation among scientists. The Memorandum stresses enhanced future relationships in multi-aspects in palaeontology and related fields.
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