The Kyoto University Museum and Marine College of Shandong University at Weihai co-hosted an international seminar, "Seminar on Species Diversity Research for East Asian Mammals," at Shandong University at Weihai, China, which was held as an activity under the JSPS AA Science Platform Program ("Research Platform for East Asian Vertebrate Species Diversity and Formation of Specimen Network").
Eighty-five faculty members and students (graduate and undergraduate) from Shandong University attended the seminar. Participants gave presentations on the recent development of research in mammal species diversity in China, and discussed the importance of fieldwork and research based not only on collaborations between Japan and China but also on a multilateral framework.
Professor Li Yuchun from the Marine College of Shandong University at Weihai chaired the seminar. Director Terufumi Ohno from the Kyoto University Museum gave an overview of the Kyoto University Museum's activities and stressed the importance of research and specimens as the foundation at university museums and the significance of sharing research achievements with the public for the cultivation of future research talents.
Later, Professor Wang Renqian (School of Life Sciences, Shandong University) talked about the current status and possibilities of research in species diversity and systematics in China, citing some sample cases, and noted the critical importance of species diversity research as fundamental research. Associate Professor Masaharu Motokawa from the Kyoto University Museum discussed the present status regarding the understanding of species diversity of East Asian mammals, emphasizing the importance of international research collaborations and noting future prospects. Professor Li Yuchun (Marine College, Shandong University) talked about the present situation concerning the taxonomy of rodents in China and stressed the need for the future development of international research collaborations in the area. Dr. Satoshi Suzuki (Kyoto University Museum) presented his research findings on the geographic variation in skull morphology of Siberian weasels. Ms. Cong Haiyan (graduate student, master's program at the Marine College of Shandong University at Weihai) outlined the fieldwork regarding mammals on Hainan Island, which was undertaken in February and March 2012 as an international collaboration project involving Japan, China, and Vietnam, noting the significance of international research collaborations from the viewpoint of a young researcher. Finally, Professor Wu Yi (School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University) discussed the present status of taxonomy with regard to Chinese bats and stressed the importance of a true understanding of species diversity of mammals living across national boundaries, pointing out that it would require research collaborations with other countries such as Japan and Vietnam and citing specific cases.
The seminar discussed the importance of research collaborations on biodiversity between Japan and China not only for mammals, which the seminar focused on, but also for a broader spectrum of taxonomic groups of animals and plants in the future. It also further strengthened academic cooperation between the Kyoto University Museum and Shandong University.
 From left, Associate Professor Motokawa, Professor Ohno and Professor Wang |
 From left, Professor Li, Dr. Suzuki, Ms. Cong and Professor Wu |
 Group photo of seminar participants |