The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and the Singapore Botanic Gardens are co-hosting the 4th International Symposium on the Family Zingiberaceae, from 3rd to 6th July 2006 at the newly constructed Tanglin Court site of the Gardens. The Ginger symposium is held once very four years. To date, the symposium has invited as special session speakers seven renowned botanists who are the world authorities of the Family Zingiberaceae and has received also some 50 papers submitted for oral presentation and some 30 titles submitted for poster presentation. The topics to be discussed are wide ranging, from taxonomy, ecology and phylogeny of the plants, to the ornamental, food and medicinal values of members of the family Zingiberaceae. The guest-of-honour at the opening ceremony on Monday 3rd July 2006 is Prof. Leo Tan, Chairman of National Parks Board. In spite of the focus of this international conference on a single family of flowering plants, a total of 150 participatns from 18 countries have registered for the Ginger symposium. Representing the Raffles Museum (RMBR) and DBS, Mr. Chua Keng Soon and Dr. Benito C. Tan will serve as members of the hosting committee during the four days symposium. A brochure of the program can be downloaded here (right-click to dowload jpeg file). The registration fees is US $100 per person and US$40 (students). See webpage for details. Contributed by Ben Tan. |