I completed my PhD at Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand. I was doing extensive research on the taxonomy of microfungi, and during these studies I had the opportunity to visit Kunming, in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on several occasions. Based on the invaluable experience and fond memories, I developed a strong desire to live in China and conduct research over a longer period of time. Upon completing my PhD, the only wish I had was to continue fungal related studies regarding their diversity, identification, classification and molecular systematics (phylogenetics). This scholarship was an invaluable blessing to me at a time when there was not much financial support, and so, I happily started my postdoctoral studies at the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

My life in China was a beautiful one. I met a lot of nice people. Although I could not speak Chinese well, I received immense help from Chinese friends to carry out daily activities. Throughout my studies, I had to hike more than a hundred peaks in Yunnan. During these field visits, I had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful environment and interact with different communities. The most beautiful experience I’ve ever had of a foreign country was in China.

The KIB had all the resources I needed to carry out my research. There I met a team of experts in various disciplines, all of whom had a wealth of experience. Thus, I was able to conduct my postdoctoral work very efficiently and effectively. During this time, I not only benefited from active exchanges with other research groups and visiting researchers, but also from the supervision of PhD and master students. Therefore, I was able to establish a good network of collaboration with Chinese and overseas scientists.

I had over 50 publications in high quality international publications during this time and became one of the most productive researchers in my group (over 30 papers in 2020 alone). I also attended several conferences, including the Asian Mycological Congress in Japan, where I presented my research findings.

In addition to the CAS PIFI fellowship, I was awarded a few research grants which helped make my work here possible, and I generally experienced a very research-friendly environment, which compared to other countries offers a greater variety of funding opportunities. The CAS PIFI scholarship is a great step in my career as a young researcher, and I hope that in the future, wherever I will go, collaborations with CAS will be possible.

Source: Wanasinghe Mudiyanselage Dhanushka Nadeeshan,

Kunming Institute of Botany,

Chinese Academy of Sciences