The 20th International Symposium on Ostracoda (ISO20) was successfully held in Beijing from August 17 to 21, 2026. The symposium brought together 106 experts, early-career researchers, and students from 24 countries and regions, including 61 international participants. This was the first time that the International Symposium on Ostracoda had been held in China since its establishment in 1963, marking a milestone in the development of ostracod research in China.
At the opening ceremony, WANG Jun, Director of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) reviewed the development of ostracod research, paid tribute to the outstanding contributions of the pioneering generation of Chinese ostracod researchers, including Professor HOU Youtang, and highlighted the milestone significance of hosting the symposium in China for the first time.
The symposium featured 66 oral presentations and 32 poster presentations, covering a wide range of topics, including ostracod taxonomy, systematics and evolution, ecology, biodiversity, palaeobiogeography, as well as new methods and technologies. After the main conference, some participants took part in the post-conference field excursion to the Meishan Section—the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Permian–Triassic boundary. The field trip also included sampling of living ostracods in Lake Taihu, and a visit the Shanghai Natural History Museum.
The successful symposium not only created excellent opportunities for Chinese ostracodologists to establish in-depth collaborations with international colleagues, but also provided valuable opportunities for early-career researchers and students to gain international academic experience. The symposium was jointly organized by NIGPAS, and China University of Geosciences (Beijing), with support from Yunnan University, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Lanzhou University, and other institutions. As a co-organizer, NIGPAS leceraged its strengths in palaeontological research, international academic collaboration, and ostracod research, and was deeply involved throughout the planning and organization of the symposium, academic coordination, and international liaison. These efforts helped facilitate extensive exchanges among researchers from China and abroad on the latest developments and frontiers of ostracod research.
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