LING Tao-yang and Pacific Science Congress

LING Tao-yang is the pioneer and an outstanding founder in forestry in Repulic of China. He had been committed to Chinese forestry and contributed greatly in forestry propaganda, education and practices. In 1933, sent by the Academia Sinica, Ling Tao-yang attended the fifth Pacific Science Congress on behalf of China. At the congress he was selected as the director of the forestry committee, holding the forest resources survey of the pacific countries. Although the fund was shortage, the survey was effective with his effort. Because of the anti-Japanese war, the survey report was not completed at last for the next committee discussion. His experience in this period has following indications. On one hand, Chinese scientific research had made great progress and got the acknowledge of international academia in 1930s, which not only changed the embarrassing status that the earlier Chinese scientific research was conducted by foreigners, but also improved the international position of Chinese scientific activities. On the other hand, Chinese science was influenced by many difficulties when it tried to communicate with the outside world and attend the international academic communications and cooperation. The shortage of fund and the instable situation at home and abroad were the main reasons.