Events in the pipeline

International Training Workshop on Small Bamboo Daily Product Processing Technologies and Machines

September 6-20, 2004
Zhejiang, P. R. China

The China Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) and the International Farm Forestry Training Center (INFORTRACE) have cooperated by holding five annual training workshops on bamboo and rattan since 1999. Totally 186 participants from 35 nations attended these workshops, mainly bamboo and rattan experts, government officials and entrepreneurs. The purpose of the workshops is to raise awareness and to enhance international exchange and cooperation and they provide knowledge on bamboo and rattan in a wide range of areas, such as biodiversity, cultivation and management technologies, and processing of different products. Previous workshops have had achieved great impacts in developing countries especially in Africa and Latin America, where people realized the significance of bamboo and rattan development.

Recent workshops are focusing more on "how to develop bamboo and rattan" by providing training addressing specific technologies. This year's workshop introduces the processing techniques and machines of small bamboo daily-use products, including: toothpicks, skewers, curtains, mats, decorative boards, and handicrafts. The participants will be provided an opportunity to practice on the machines in factories to familiarise themselves with the processing techniques and the performances of the machines.

This training workshop will combine courses with practices in factories. Experts from China will be invited to give courses and instructions, and to demonstrate the processing techniques and the operation of the machines. At the same time, the workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to exchange knowledge and experiences from their own countries. The main courses will include:

1) A general introduction to China's bamboo development
2) Quality requirements of different bamboo products
3) Bamboo preservation technologies
4) Bamboo processing machines
5) Processing techniques and machines for bamboo daily products: bamboo tooth picks, bamboo skewers, bamboo curtain, bamboo mats, bamboo decoration boards, etc..
6) Management model of bamboo processing enterprises

The Workshop will start with indoor courses in Zhejiang Province, and then practice in factories in Lin'an and Anji.

For details of this workshop please visit INBAR website at: http://www.inbar.int/news/news52.htm

Pereira, Colombia
September 27th to October 2nd of 2004

The aim of this symposium is to present the latest results of research on Guadua. Further, this symposium shall serve as a platform for the project partners of the European Union funded Guadua-Bamboo Research Project to present their final research results (University of Freiburg, Germany; Imperial College London, Great Britain; Technological University of Pereira, Colombia; University of Costa Rica and CATIE). In the course of this project (2001-2004) 1 post-doctoral, 3 PhD-studies and 5 Masters-Studies have been realized and completed.

The participants of this symposium are kindly invited to submit papers and posters of their scientific as well as of their practical work, which they are willing to present during the symposium.

For details of this symposium please visit INBAR website at: http://www.inbar.int/news/news51.htm .