2019-08-20
The International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) held its 33rd General Assembly in Oslo, Norway from July 30 through August 2, 2019.
During the assembly, IUBS organized special activities to celebrate its centenary year.
Nearly 100 experts and scholars from around the world were invited to the assembly, including IUBS members and representatives of international organizations, universities and research institutes.
Chinese academician Kang Le was elected vice president of IUBS’ new Executive Committee during the assembly. Kang's election is expected to deepen mutual understanding of Chinese scientists with their foreign counterparts at IUBS and broaden cooperation between IUBS and the Chinese Union of Life Science Societies and other Chinese biological institutes and organizations.
Academician Kang Le (R3) is elected vice president of IUBS’ new Executive Committee.
Kang is a famous Chinese ecologist and entomologist and holds memberships at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries and the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. He now serves as president of Hebei University, director of the CAS Beijing Institutes of Life Science, dean of the College of Life Science - University of CAS, and outstanding research fellow of the CAS Institute of Zoology.
Kang is a leading scientist of ecological genomics internationally. He is also a lead scientist in China’s national “973” research program and the academic leader of the Innovation Team, National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has published over 200 SCI papers, including those on Science, Nature Communication and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
In recognition of his research achievements, several important awards have been given to Kang, including the prestigious Life Science & Biotechnology Prize of the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation in 2011, the International Distinguished Scientist Award of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) in 2013, and Tan’s Achievement Award for Life Sciences and ESA fellowship in 2015. In 2017, he is awarded the National Prize of Natural Sciences (second class) and the CAS Scientific Achievement Prize.
Also during the assembly, Chinese scientist Zhang Zhibin received the IUBS Award for his outstanding contributions to a core IUBS program - Biological Consequences of Global Change (BCGC).
Zhang was one of the two recipients of the award this year.
Zhang Zhibin receives the IUBS Award.
Zhang now serves as a research fellow of the CAS Institute of Zoology, president of the International Society of Zoological Sciences (ISZS) and editor-in-chief of Integrative Zoology.
He once held positions as director of the CAS Bureau of Life Sciences & Biotechnology and director of the CAS Institute of Zoology.
Zhang has also received many honors and awards, including the Natural Science Foundation of China Fund for Distinguished Young Scholar in 1998, the National S&T Progress Award (second class) in 2002, the foreign membership of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 2014, and the foreign membership of the Academy of Europe in 2017.
Zhang’s team, using ecological data from decadal to millennium scale, has made significant breakthroughs by revealing the non-monotonous effect of climate on several biological populations. Besides, the team has made important contributions in understanding population regulation of small rodents at behavioral, neurobiological and genetic levels.
In 2008, Zhang and his team initiated BCGC, a research program that has been enjoying support from IUBS as a core program since 2009. BCGC has greatly facilitated close international cooperation among scientists across various disciplines. By revealing the biological consequences and mechanisms of global change, the program has provided scientific grounds for addressing global change and protecting the ecological environment.
IUBS, established in 1919, is a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting research, training, and education in biological sciences while advocating access and benefit-sharing of knowledge and resources. A member union of the International Science Council (ISC), IUBS is the only international body that represents the entire spectrum of biological sciences. IUBS currently unites more than 110 national, scientific, and institutional members and has close cooperation with UNESCO, WHO, FAO, and UNEP.
CAST is an ordinary member of IUBS and ISZS a scientific member.
Tag: International affairs