The Hong Kong Insect Forum 2019, the first edition of its kind, opened Thursday at the University of Hong Kong, with scientists and experts showing their research findings and discussing insect classification and biodiversity conservation.

Themed "Insect Diversity: Present and Future", the two-day symposium, organized by the University of Hong Kong, the Entomological Society of China, and the Institute of Zoology with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has attracted around 60 scholars from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao SAR, Britain, Japan, Pakistan and other countries and regions.

Bai Ming, chief organizer of the event, from the Institute of Zoology with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told Xinhua that the forum is a part of cooperation between CAS and Hong Kong government, which aims to help Hong Kong establish an insect baseline survey and conduct insect conservation, for concerning authorities to set up an overall biodiversity strategy.

Another organizer, Benoit Guenard from the University of Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong is the world's financial center and that entomology is not well-known here. However, insects play an important role in the ecosystem and should receive greater attention. As one of a few entomological professors in Hong Kong, Guenard has been committed to the development of entomology in Hong Kong.

Jackie Yip, senior conservation officer of Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), gave a report on Hong Kong's biodiversity conservation policy and Hong Kong government's work in popularizing biodiversity knowledge and promoting research.

The Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have established close ties in scientific research and innovation, especially after the release of the outline development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which injects momentum and offers opportunities for science and technology cooperation between the two sides.

According to Bai, 22 CAS-HK joint laboratories have been established in six universities in Hong Kong, covering biomaterial, electronic packaging materials, multimedia technology, precision engineering, etc. The forum is also an effort to prepare establishing another new laboratory. (Xinhua)