The protection of forest genetic resources is an important basis and premise for ensuring national ecological security and high-quality forestry development. In order to learn international frontier dynamics and the latest research progress of genetic resource and to improve related research level, Forest Genetic Resource Subject Group from Research Institute of Forestry closely followed the national major demand of Seed Industry Revitalization and invited Prof. Hugh Pritchard's research team from UK Royal Botanical Garden Kew Millennium Seed Bank as well as Chris Kettle who is the forestry chief scientist from Biodiversity International to conduct 4 virtual lectures under the influence of COVID-19 blocking up international cooperation and exchanges.

During the series of lectures, Prof. Hugh Pritchard's team introduced the advanced technologies and operating mechanisms of seed collection, cryopreservation and seed bank database construction in UK Royal Botanical Garden Kew Millennium Seed Bank in over the past 20 years. Researcher Chris Kettle introduced his nature-based solutions that could meet multiple sustainable development goals through his more than a decade research on dendrology, ecology and genetics. These lectures have positively promoted CAF to accelerate the construction of national forest genetic resource facility storage bank (including main bank in Beijing and regional branch bank), to improve the infrastructure system of forest genetic resources protection bank, library and nursery, and to improve the protection and management of forest genetic resources.

In addition, the lectures is closely combined with the cultivations of talents’ professional quality. It is integrated with the professional course " population genetics" of graduate education in CAF, so that more graduate students can actively participate in the international cooperation, exchanges and interactions, and promote the cultivation of a new generation of international talents in the field of genetic resources.

After the lecture, Prof. Hugh Pritchard and Researcher Chris Kettle expressed their willingness to continue the international cooperation on seed protection and seed adaptability. Forest Genetic Resource Subject Group from Research Institute of Forestry plans to jointly apply for the international scientific and technological cooperation projects from the Ministry of Science and Technology and NFGA, together with UK Royal Botanical Garden Kew Millennium Seed Bank and Biodiversity International .

The main speaker, Prof. Hugh Pritchard, is the director of Seed Biology Research Department from UK Royal Botanical Garden Kew and the internationally renowned expert in  seed biologist. He has high reputation in the field of international seed biology research. Prof. Hugh Pritchard's main research direction is wild plant seed adaptability, plant seed protection, etc. His research results were published on top botanical journals such as Plant Cell and Environment and New Phytologist. (Zheng Yongqi / Research Institute of Forestry, Wang Zishan/ Division of International Cooperation)