Invited by the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student and the Department of Biological Invasions, Prof. Bernie Dell, Research Director of Office of the Vice Chancellor in Murdoch University, from the Australia-China Joint Centre for the Management and Eradication of Exotic Invasive Species, visited IPP on 21 March. Deputy Director General Qiu Dewen met with Prof. Dell. Dr. Wang Lixia, the Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student hosted the meeting.

Prof. Qiu expressed warm welcome to Prof. Dell and introduced the overviews on the scientific research, personnel training and international exchange and collaboration at IPP. He hoped to make the most of the Joint Centre for the Management and Eradication of Exotic Invasive Species established in 2015 and to promote in-depth collaboration in the areas of invasive biology and to expand the research areas in future collaboration. Prof. Dell introduced the achievements in international collaboration obtained in Murdoch University and her cooperation partners in China. He affirmed the achievements in the areas of plant protection obtained at IPP and the superiority in international collaboration. He appreciated the results achieved in the prevention and control of invasive aliens pecies gained at the Department of Biological Invasions, IPP. He hoped to strengthen the collaboration through mutual efforts under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and to promote together the development of the Joint Centre. After the meeting, Prof. Dell talked on Invasive alien species - case study of a water mould in Western Australia and had a lively discussion with the scientists and graduate students at IPP.

Prof. Dell's visit deepened the understanding to the researches carried out at IPP. The two parties cleared up the future collaboration focuses and the way of collaboration, which is significant to push on mutual substantial collaboration and to deepen the development of the Joint Centre. Profs. Wan Fanghao, Zhang Guifen from the Department of Biological Invasions and Dr. Liu Wanxue, the Deputy Director of the Department, etc., and more than 20 graduates attended the meeting and the seminar.