On 16 June 2023, at 1.00 p.m., in meeting room 9 on the 2nd floor of the Golden Jubilee Administration and Information Center at Kasetsart University. Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, the President of Kasetsart University along with Associate Professor Dr. Wanwipa Vongsangnak, Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Kasetsart University International College (KUIC); Assistant Professor Kobsak Wanthongchai, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry; Assistant Professor Dr. Nikhom Laemsak, Vice President for Innovation and Social Engagement; Dr. Kritsadapan Palakit, Assistant Dean for International Affairs, the Faculty of Forestry; Assistant Professor Dr. Sapit Diloksumpun, Associate Dean for Research and Academic Services, the Faculty of Forestry; Associate Professor Dr. Prateep Duengkae, Head of Department of Forest Biology, the Faculty of Forestry; Professor Dr. Dokrak Marod, Lecturer, the Faculty of Forestry; Ms. Prattana Thirakiettikun, Miss Prattana Thirakiettikun, Head of the International Collaboration and Networking Section; and personnel from the International Affairs Division welcomed Ms. Pasupha Chinvarasopak, a Minister Counsellor for Science and Technology at the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing, People's Republic of China and the delegation consisted of Ms. HaiHua Gong – Director, Division of Asian and African Affairs, Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS; Ms. Ting Tong – Deputy Director, Division of Asian and African Affairs, Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS; Ms. Fangfang Zhao – Program Officer, Division of Asian and African Affairs, Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS; Dr. Ren Li, Senior Engineer, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, CAS; Professor Luxiang Lin, Principal Investigator of Community Assembly and Species Coexistence Research Group, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden;  Dr. Pisamai Maenpuun, Research Assistant in Ecology at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, CAS; Mr. Qiang Wang, Embassy of China in the Kingdom of Thailand; and Ms. Yan WU, Embassy of China in the Kingdom of Thailand on the occasion of visiting Kasetsart University.

On this occasion, Dr. Chongrak Wachrinrat, President of Kasetsart University welcomed and pleased to support the opportunity to create cooperation in education between the KU and CAS including XTBG, also further mentioned about many other academic cooperation KU has with universities and institutes in China continuously. Then, Ms. HaiHua Gong – Director, Division of Asian and African Affairs, Bureau of International Cooperation expressed her gratitude and and introduced the background of and Chinese Academy of Sciences- CAS and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden - XTBG.

Today’s MOU Signing Ceremony happned according to Ms. Pasupha Chinvarasopak, a Minister Counselor Department of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, at the Royal Thai Embassy, Beijing wished to bring foreign officials from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden under CAS made a courtesy call on Associate Professor Dr. Kampanat Pensupar, Vice President for International Affairs to discuss the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity Cooperation between Kasetsart University and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden (XTBG) and also discussed with the administrators of Kasetsart University to develop cooperation in conducting research, especially in the area of Agricultural Biodiversity because Agricultural Biodiversity is essential for a sustainable improvement in food and nutrition security and it can make a far greater contribution to increased productivity.

The meeting discussed general and specific issues which consist of (1) training, seminars or short training sessions, exchange of researchers and faculty between institutions, as well as supporting scholarships for graduate students of Kasetsart University to study at the Master-Doctoral level at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (2) Establishment of a botanical garden in Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus; (3) a future visit of KU administrators to Chinese Academy of Sciences-CAS and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden – XTBG; (4) the official visit of Vice President of Chinese Academy of Sciences-CAS and joint workshop in late July.

In this regard, the meeting agreed on the initiative in the various proposals mentioned above to promote cooperation between them and initiated the signing ceremony of an MOU between Kasetsart University and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden (XTBG) as happened today.  

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden (XTBG), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was established in 1959 in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Special Autonomous Region. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden with China’s richest collection of species. It shows visitors an incredible preserve with a wide variety of plants, trees, and flowers. With over 13,000 species of tropical plants, including over 301 families and 2110 genera, XTBG is a research institute engaged in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of plant resources, focusing on forests, ecosystems, and ecology, biology, conservation, and Development of Plant Resources. The institute has three main departments: two key laboratories (Keylab Research Groups for Tropical Forest Ecology (15 research groups) and Keylab for Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use (8 research groups) and the Center for Integrated Conservation (9 groups). XTBG also leads the Chinese Union of Botanical Gardens (CUBG), which currently has 88 botanical gardens across China and is a member of the International Union of Botanical Gardens (IUBG).