Deputy Director of KIZ, Dr. Ren Lai, opened the forum, praising the efforts made by the Museum management and personnel for their efforts in promoting and modernizing the mission of the KMNH during 2014 as part of their “innovation and excellence” strategy.

Over the past year, staff at the KMNH have demonstrated considerable dedication for their efforts across the entire museum operations, including classification of flora and fauna samples, preparing taxidermy exhibitions, or developing educational curriculum. In particular, 2014 showed several new, well-attended, events and exhibits that showcased regional, national and international  natural history. The KMNH also made strong efforts to provide educational camps and workshops for students across Yunnan in conjunction with different city and provincial government offices, including outreach and education events at Green Lake Park and Qujing City.

The Museum has also increased its efforts to collaborate with its parent institution, KIZ, by hosting staff events, meetings, poster sessions, and seminars at the facility, including several poster sessions and conferences. Several members of the museum have also partnered with researchers across CAS to publish research on the animal specimens and biodiversity within the Indo-Burman Biodiversity Hotspot.

Attendees of the forum were also treated to a lecture on the history of the museum and how its mission has evolved to meet local and national demands for greater scientific education and outreach. Over the past year, the Museum has implemented several new digital media projects to modernize the museum experience, including launching of the new “See the Exhibits” App and the museum’s new WiFi wireless internet infrastructure.

(By Andrew Willden)