Ministry of Education official visits YNU's Institute of Palaeontology

Lei Chaozi, director-general of the Department of Science, Technology and Informatization at the Ministry of Education, conducted a field survey of the Institute of Palaeontology at Yunnan University (YNU) on Oct 13.

Lei Chaozi, director-general of the Department of Science, Technology and Informatization at the Ministry of Education, visits the Institute of Palaeontology at YNU on Oct 13. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

Lei fully affirmed the achievements of the institute, adding that Yunnan geographically well-suited to the development of palaeontological research, and it is important to make full use of its abundant palaeontological resources and encourage young researchers to produce significant theoretical output.

The Institute of Palaeontology at YNU is the only research institute of palaeontology in a domestic university.

Relying on Yunnan's unique paleontological resources, which have strong international influence, the institute focuses on major international scientific issues in its research, which includes the origin of life and the co-evolution of living things and the environment.

Its three main research focuses are Cambrian biology, plant paleo-ecology, and palaeontology.

The academic research of the institute has long been at the forefront of international academic research. The institute successively won first and second place in the National Natural Science Awards, second place in the Science and Technology Outstanding Achievement Awards of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology Outstanding Achievement Award, and the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Outstanding Contribution Award.