charles

time：2022-11-27source：云南省科技厅browse：3,077

Dark skin, wide With a handsome face and a burly figure, the 41-year-old Nigerian Charles has the distinctive features and appearance of Africans. Despite his rough appearance, he is engaged in an extremely delicate scientific research work at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences—animals. genetics research. Over the years, in China and Yunnan, Charles has not only been a postgraduate tutor, a foreign scientific research expert, but also a friendly envoy for China-Africa scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation.

In 2011, Charles came to the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences to study for a Ph.D. in genetics. Four years later, he successfully obtained a Ph.D. Just as Charles was vacillating about his future development, a research fund from the International Talent Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences offered an olive branch to Charles. He stayed at the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as an assistant researcher. In 2017, Charles received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The good scientific research environment and policies made Charles feel at ease and started his scientific research career in Yunnan.

Charles' research focuses on the phylogeny of African domestic animals, using African domestic animal resources for animal genetics, adaptive evolution and their relationship to human migration. In his view, although he is in China, which is far away from Africa, he is deeply attracted by the rich biodiversity of Yunnan. "Yunnan is very rich in biological species, especially mammals and birds. These rich species are also related to Africa to a certain extent, which brings a lot of resource conditions to my scientific research work, which is why Yunnan attracts me." Charles told reporters.

In addition to being an assistant researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Charles has another identity, that is, he is also responsible for the research projects of the China-Africa Joint Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is responsible for China-Africa scientific research cooperation, communication tasks. The China-Africa Joint Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is an overseas scientific and educational institution established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the core participating partner of the China-Africa Joint Research Center.


< p> Speaking of China-Africa Joint Research Center, Charles spoke highly of it. He told the reporter that the China-Africa Joint Research Center has branches in Kunming, Wuhan, and Kentini in Africa, and the two sides have cooperation in mutual visits, specimen collection, and personnel training. A series of in-depth cooperation. "I think this is a very great plan, which will not only enhance the exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa in scientific research and culture, but also promote the rapid growth of young Chinese and African scientific research talents like us.”

With such a cooperation platform, Charles was able to collect a large number of African animal specimens, and established a specimen bank at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. For gene extraction, Charles and his research team conducted a comparative study on the evolution of wild animals and domesticated animals in China and Africa, and their relationship with human migration, and then analyzed the correlation between them. After several years of solid and in-depth research, Charles has achieved a large number of scientific research results. A total of more than 20 high-level academic papers have been published in internationally renowned journals. He has also delivered speeches in many internationally renowned academic forums and conferences.

Starting from scientific research, Charles also gradually began to undertake the guidance and training of graduate students. His students are not only from China, but also from his hometown Nigeria. At the same time, he will cooperate with Academician Zhang Yaping to guide students. In Charles' words, scientific research has brought him achievements, and cultivating outstanding students is his greatest achievement. "Compared with research, I prefer to guide students, and watching them achieve research results one by one, I feel very fulfilled." Charles said.

Talking about life in Yunnan, Charles bluntly said that it was difficult for him to adapt when he first arrived in Yunnan. Language, food, transportation, etc. were all challenges for him. "I feel that Yunnan dialect is not at all like the Mandarin I have learned. I can't understand it, I'm not used to eating, and I still get lost on the street." He smiled shyly. Due to his busy research work, Charles has not had the opportunity to go to more places in Yunnan, but he has been to Dali, Erhai Lake, and Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang. Drunken shrimp, stone pot fish and Yiliang roast duck are the most delicious and unique foods in his opinion. In his spare time for scientific research, he also goes to the gym, watches movies, and attends parties with foreign friends.


< p> After gradually adapting to the new environment, Charles said that everything here is perfect! "People are very friendly, and I also like the food here. Yunnan is a good place with a pleasant climate. My life here is very comfortable and relaxing." he said .

For Charles, the smooth work and life in Yunnan for a long time is inseparable from the help of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the support of local government departments. Before the epidemic, Charles' family would often come to Yunnan to reunite with him, but after the epidemic, the family members could not come to Yunnan, and they could only greet each other through video and phone calls. "My residence permit in Yunnan was assisted by the Department of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province. My daughter was born in Kunming. Due to the language barrier, the Institute sent someone to the hospital to help us communicate. I am very grateful to the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences for their support. Everything I do, here is a big group and a big family, and the Institute has given me the warmth of a family, and I have already regarded this place as my own home!" Charles said.

Time is like water, time flies. In a blink of an eye, there are still two years left in Charles' Chinese Academy of Sciences International Talents Program. But Charles said that in the future, no matter where he goes, he will always maintain a close cooperative research relationship with the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, because this has long been his second hometown! "Yunnan is my second home. It has a pleasant climate and rich biodiversity. These are enough to make me fall in love with Yunnan. I will continue to make my own contributions to China-Africa scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation." Charles said.