Robert Edward Grumbine
My first feeling upon receiving the news of my CAS PIFI fellowship was excitement — excitement about returning to China and the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to work with trusted colleagues and old friends. This was followed by a second feeling — gratefulness to the CAS for the chance to collaborate on more work to contribute to science policy! So often, we scientists labor on individual projects and sometimes forget the bigger picture of how science can influence the world. My work in China has always been about helping to link individual projects with making the world a better place.
I worked for the CAS at the KIB from 2010-2014 as a senior international scientist on a previous CAS fellowship, and I had a tremendously positive experience. I developed close working relations with Professor Xu Jianchu and his team at the Center for Mountain Futures at the KIB. After returning to work in the US in 2014, I kept in contact with the team and returned several times to make new contributions. It was natural to apply again through PIFI to come back to Kunming to live and cooperate on new projects.
Through PIFI, I lived in an apartment in Kunming with my wife Li Li, who had previously had a career with the CAS in Xiamen at the Institute of Urban Environment (IUE). We both loved living in Kunming throughout our almost 4-month stay.
My three major projects were all incredibly rewarding for me: The Mountain Futures work spotlighting the Honghe Centre for Innovations in southern Yunnan; the work describing how to make the outcomes of COP15 in Kunming as successful as possible; and the overview work outlining the problems and prospects for more sustainable agricultural systems globally.
As to the ongoing development of the CAS and the role of the PIFI fellowship, it is clear that China’s rising stature in 21st century science is secure and can take its place alongside any program in the world. The CAS is world-class and also world-class in how it treats its foreign cooperators. Many thanks to all the team members and supporters who have done so much to make my work in China highlights of my professional career.
I had just retired from full-time work when I accepted PIFI and returned to China. But I am still ready to cooperate at a high level with Chinese colleagues, and would welcome the opportunity to return again to the KIB and conduct more solid work with Professor Xu and his team. There is much to do to build a stronger China on the world stage and I am ready to contribute in the future if I get another chance!
