Hou Jianguo (L), CAS President, meets with Antoine Petit, President of CNRS.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) will deepen its collaboration with its French counterpart, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), on the basis of their fruitful partnership of almost half a century to make joint efforts on research into global sustainable development, according to a bilateral strategic dialogue meeting of the two sides held in June in Beijing.

The meeting was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

Scientists and experts at the meeting engaged in profound exchanges and communication on major scientific research tasks aimed at 2030, and discussed open-sharing cooperation mechanisms, especially to promote scientific excellence in large research infrastructures.

“We should maximize the strengths of our respective disciplines and large research infrastructures, utilizing large research infrastructures like synchrotron radiation sources and neutrino detection to build a collaborative partnership network marked by interdisciplinary attributes,” said CAS President Hou Jianguo at the meeting’s closing ceremony.

Four Sino-French international research networks will be established by the two institutions, focusing on joint research into particle physics, biodiversity conservation, climate change, and pure and applied mathematics.

CAS and CNRS jointly signed their first institutional S&T cooperation agreement 46 years ago, marking the beginning of bilateral cooperation between China and France, and initiating a science and technology collaboration era between China and the rest of the world.

“Through the continuous efforts of several generations of scientists, our cooperation now spans fields such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, and materials science, yielding fruitful results,” said President Hou.

The two sides have reached a consensus to open a new chapter in bilateral institutional strategic cooperation based on the solid foundation of collaboration accomplishments in the last five decades.

“As national research institutions, CNRS and CAS should continue to conduct strategic dialogue and communication, and contribute ideas and strengths to promote global sustainable development for the benefit of all humanity,” said Antoine Petit, President of CNRS.

Group photo of the participants of the CAS-CNRS Bilateral Strategic Dialogue meeting

Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences