China's first-ever college dedicated to the study of giant pandas was inaugurated in Nanchong, Sichuan province, on Monday, with a mission to train specialized professionals for the protection of the much-loved animals.

The college was jointly established by the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Sichuan Province and China West Normal University in Nanchong.

Giant pandas, a species unique to China, are globally recognized as the "flagship species" of the world's biodiversity conservation. They serve as a cultural symbol for Sichuan, home to the majority of the world's wild pandas.

China West Normal University takes the lead in China in the higher education sector in studying the ecology of wild giant pandas, boasting the longest track record in the country for this type of research.

Since the 1970s, the university has been devoted to giant panda research, and has created "four firsts" in this field, according to the university's Party chief Wang Yuanjun. The university led the country's first giant panda field investigation and research, established the world's first giant panda field ecological observation station, promoted China's first international cooperation on wildlife protection, and published the world's first academic monograph that comprehensively explores the ecological environment of giant pandas.

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