This year’s annual conference of the Scottish China Education Network (SCEN) was held at Edinburgh Zoo, in recognition of China’s contribution to biodiversity and conservation.

SCEN’s largest event to date, with over 500 local pupils and 100 adults attending, it celebrated the links Scottish schools are building with schools in China to enable pupils to understand and contrast both cultures and environments.

Michael Russell, the Education Secretary, said: “Our young people will be faced with a number of opportunities and challenges in the future. By bringing today the themes of Chinese language, biodiversity, globalisation and environmental awareness, this conference will help to inspire our young people as they prepare to meet these challenges.”

For some time now, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has been central to the discussions between the Chinese and UK governments, as it aims to bring the only pair of giant pandas to the UK.