The Hodgman Liberal Government last night signed an MOU to further foster cooperation in research between the Tasmanian and Chinese Governments.
The MOU will see the Chinese Academy of Sciences explore ways it can contribute to the conservation of the Tasmanian Devil through research in relation to the facial tumour disease.
The Tasmanian Government has sponsored the development of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program as the focus for conservation activities for the species and developed strong national and international partnerships to progress conservation of the species.
The success of the Insurance Population aspect of the Program has seen the Tasmanian Devil, as a species, become more secure than it has been at any time during the past decade.
However, there are still serious ongoing challenges to the species and this agreement will facilitate further research into the devil facial tumour disease and progress the Government’s goal of securing the future of the species in the wild in Tasmania.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences includes internationally recognised key centres for research on disease and conservation sciences and will work with the Tasmanian Government on an agreed program of research work.
This agreement is further evidence of the breadth of opportunities that are flowing from closer collaboration with China.
Alongside the MOU on traditional medicine signed this week, this is the second outcome from this trade mission that is based around collaboration on scientific research.
It is also an endorsement of our world class higher education system as the University of Tasmania played a major role in progressing discussions to this point.
The involvement of highly skilled Tasmanian researchers will also be key to ensuring this initiative makes a tangible contribution to the fight to save the devil.
In order to support this research on the Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease and to foster collaboration between the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Tasmania and the China Scholarship Council, two PhD candidates who are jointly supervised between the University of Tasmania and UCAS and who are working on projects to understand the basis of this disease will each be provided with tuition fee scholarships from the University of Tasmania, living stipends from the CSC and through the Save the Tasmanian Devil Foundation, $10,000 per year per student for three years towards the cost of their research.
The Tasmania Government is committed to increased engagement with China and we are strengthening these important relations on this trade mission.
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