Group photo
The meeting
On July 24, an expert meeting of the international project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Strategic Research on Operation Mechanism of International Research Funding, hosted by NSFC and organized by Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI), was held at the Tiexinqiao Water Experiment Center of NHRI. Well-known experts at home and abroad, including ZHANG Jianyun, CAE Academician, ZHU Yongguan, CAS Academician, SU Zhiqiang, Fellow of Singapore National Academy of Engineering, Philippe Gourbesville, Vice President of IAHR, Michael Meadows, President of IGU, Prof. Marie Harder from UK, Prof. Jeremy Murray and Researcher SUN Yu from Canada, Prof. ZHANG Feng from Japan, and Researcher LI Dianfan from Ireland, were invited to conduct discussion and exchanges. YAO Yupeng, Deputy Director-General, NSFC Bureau of Planning and Policy, YIN Wenxuan, Deputy Director-General, NSFC Bureau of International Cooperation, WANG Wenze, Deputy Director-General, NSFC Bureau of Personnel and other directors of NSFC departments were present at the meeting. NHRI President DAI Jiqun delivered a speech at the meeting.
DAI introduced the overall situations of NHRI's innovation and development, supporting the national high level science and technology self-reliance and self-strengthening in recent years. He expressed that NHRI, as a positive pioneer and important practitioner of international scientific and technological exchange and cooperation in China, will always focus on the major strategic needs of the nation and strive to do a good job in scientific and technological service support, and contribute its wisdom and strength to accelerating the scientific and technological innovation in China, narrowing the gap with international advanced science and technology, and striving for the lead in the innovation of water resources, transportation and energy industries.
YAO made an introduction about the preparation of the Department of International Research Funding of NSFC, which will strive to build an important funding platform for foreign talents. He pointed out that there were still weaknesses in current international scientific research cooperation in China, such as low funding rate, many restrictions on fund management, insufficient attraction to international talents, etc. NSFC will further improve the management and operation mechanism, actively build an international cooperation platform for basic research, and foster an open and innovative funding ecosystem with global competitiveness to help China accelerate its efforts to achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
The participating experts and scholars had full and heated exchanges and discussions on the challenges and opportunities faced by China in international scientific and technological cooperation, the policies on the introduction of international talents, the demands of foreign scholars to conduct scientific research in China, etc. Constructive suggestions were put forward for the current international cooperation project funding system, the establishment of the Department of International Research Funding, and the funding schemes of international scientific research, which have positive guiding significance for further expanding China's international scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges.
Directors of NHRI Scientific Research Management Department, Human Resources Department, International Cooperation Office, Water Resources and Hydrology Department and Eco-Environment Department and the project backbones attended the meeting.
