Giant Panda Academy Opened in China

The college, which aims to train professionals in the conservation of giant pandas and other rare animal and plant species, opened on September 25 in Nanchong, China's Sichuan Province. This is also the first giant panda academy in the country and will focus on talent training and scientific research.

Jointly built by Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration and China West Normal University (CWNU), the college is intended to play an important role in protecting the ecological environment, restoring habitats, building panda national parks, promoting panda population recovery, facilitating reintroduction into the wild . CWNU was chosen for this position because it is a leader in studying the ecology of giant pandas and has the longest history of such research in the country.

Giant pandas, a species native to China, have a very important place in preserving biodiversity worldwide. Pandas also serve as a cultural symbol for Sichuan, which is home to the majority of pandas in the world. According to the interview given by the university's Party Chief Wang Yuanjun to the Global Times, the university has been conducting giant panda research since the 1970s and has broken new ground in this field four times. First, the university pioneered the nation's first giant panda field study.

He subsequently established the world's first giant panda monitoring station and promoted China's first international cooperation in wildlife conservation. Most recently, he published the world's first academic monograph that comprehensively investigates the ecological environment of giant pandas. Panda School will officially start accepting undergraduate students in 2024.