Charley Owen Younge, The Netherlands

Charley Younge was an enthusiastic promoter and advocate for bamboo, and a successful innovator for branding bamboo as a modern material. Charley was passionately engaged with bamboo, and his zest earned him a reputation worldwide for his knowledge about the bamboo plant and its development as an alternative to wood.

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Zhu Zhaohua, China

Zhu has been invited to 45 countries for the purposes of academic and technical exchange. Zhu is considered an international expert of worldwide influence in many countries. His publication, Sustainable Development of the Bamboo and Rattan Sectors in Tropical China, is a benchmark for the modern management schemes and develop projects worldwide.

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Oscar Hidalgo-Lopez, Colombia

In 2003, Oscar Hidalgo published an incredible book entitled, Bamboo – The Gift of the Gods. Essentially it is a testament of his life’s discoveries involving his study of bamboo. It is a triumph to his dedication and commitment. It is standing proof of his bamboo pioneering spirit.

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Wenyu Hsiung, the Peoples Republic of China

Wenyu Hsiung was born July 9th, 1915 in Chong Qing county of Sichuan Province. He graduated from the Forestry Department of Sichuan University, receiving his Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree in 1940. He remained on the staff as a faculty member after graduation. Four years later, he was promoted to a lecturer.

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Jules Janssen, The Netherlands

In 1963, Jules Janssen achieved a Masters of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Delft University, with the main subject of structural design. From 1963-67, he was partner in an architect’s office, with major projects involving the structural design for a concert hall containing 3000 seats and a harbor shed of 7200 square meter (80,000 sq ft).

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Shuen Chao Wu, Taiwan

Professor Shuen-Chao Wu was born on March 2, 1927 at Chai-Yi, a city in southern Taiwan. Wu grew up near the forest train station, and frequently had the chance to see trains carrying huge logs. In his childhood, those scenes gave him a strange feeling and unforgettable deep image in his heart.

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Masatoshi Watanabe, Japan

Masatoshi Watanabe graduated from the Kyoto College of Foreign Languages in 1955. He received a Doctorate degree from National Kyushu University. His thesis title, “Basic studies on the management of bamboo forests based on ecological characteristics.”

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Cherla Sastry

Cherla Sastry was born in Andhra Pradesh, India and came to Canada, as a graduate student, in the early sixties. He was lovingly known as the father of INBAR.

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Vinoo Kaley

Bamboo Idealist Vinoo Kaley was born in Wardha on 30th June 1946. After many wanderings in as a Bhikshu of vernacular building wisdom, he started work at Wardha once again as architect, activist, manufacturer of lime, builder in mud and maverick lobbyist for cause of the Gandhian mode of building.

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Sampuran Singh

Any new innovative product particularly, an eco–friendly product, takes it own time to gain acceptability and in particular with government departments it is a time consuming process. But Sampuran Singh and his team never gave up and continued their sincere hard work and struggle to make this new bamboo based industry a success.

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Rajib Goswami

Today, Rajib Goswami’s unit – Rhino Bamboo Industry – has many innovative designs along with 150 standardized designs. The unit stands as a testimony to show that with proper channelized effort bamboo can turn out to be a very profitable and socially enhancing sector.

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Ueda Koichiro, Japan

Koichiro Ueda was a well-known Japanese scholar recognized throughout the world as one of the leading authorities on bamboo. One of his most esteemed awards was the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan. He was professor at Kyoto Industrial College and president of the Japan Bamboo Industries Association.

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Krit Samapuddhi, Thailand

Krit Samapuddhi was the former deputy director general of Thailand’s Royal Forest Department, and former managing director of Thailand’s Forest Industry Organization. He was instrumental in developing the forest village system.

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Floyd Alonzo McClure, USA

Floyd Alonzo McClure was one of the world’s leading authorities on the bamboo plant. Born in Shelby County, Ohio, McClure went to China as a teacher in 1919 after completing his undergraduate work at Ohio State University. He stayed in China for 24 years, working most of the time as professor of economic botany at Lingnan University in Canton.

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Walter Liese, Germany

If ever Germany was to have an ambassador at large for forestry, and for bamboo in particular, Prof. Walter Liese would eminently qualify for the post. In his career as a wood biologist and forestry expert, which spans nearly five decades, Prof. Liese has stretched his faculties to their limits to become an institution in himself.

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