On September 30, 2022, a symposium on "Construction of  ASEAN-China  Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Public Health" was successfully held in the Conference Center of Peking University Health Science Center. The leaders of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology attended the symposium, including the First Level Inspector, Xiao Wei, the Director of the Asia Africa Division, and Qiao Jian, the Deputy Director. Qiao Jie, Executive Vice President of Peking University and Director of the Health Science Center, attended and delivered a speech. Wang Jiadong, Deputy Director, presided over the symposium. Sun Qiudan, Director of the International Cooperation Division of the Health Science Center, Fan Jianjun, Deputy Director of the Scientific Research Division, Zhan Siyan, Dean of the School of Public Health, and Wang Haijun, Vice Dean, Meng Qingyue, Director and Project Leader of the China Health Development Research Center of Peking University, and Xu Ming, Director of the Department of Geohygiene, jointly attended the symposium.

Qiao Jie

At the beginning of the symposium, Qiao Jie, on behalf of Peking University and Peking University Health Science Center, warmly welcomed Director Xu and his delegation to the Health Science Center to investigate and understand the progress of the project, and expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Science and Technology for its long-term strong support to Peking University. Qiao Jie said that the Peking University Health Science Center will work with ASEAN countries to create new partners, establish research bases, technological innovation bases and talent training bases based on the preliminary work, promote the ASEAN-China Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Public Health to become an sample of regional cooperation in global health, and assist both parties to carry out extensive and in-depth cooperation in various fields.

Wang Jiadong

Zhan Siyan

Later, Zhan Siyan mentioned in his speech that the School of Public Health, as the main implementing unit, under the strong support of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the leadership of the Health Science Center, as well as the active coordination of the International Cooperation Office and the Scientific Research Office of the University, has actively implemented the project tasks together with relevant cooperative units, and the preparation of the Center has made phased implementation. Zhan Siyan pointed out that the School of Public Health attaches great importance to the development of the discipline of Geohygiene. It has established the first department of Geohygiene in China, the first international Master program in Global Health in English, established overseas teaching and research bases in Myanmar and other countries, and established scientific research cooperation with many universities in ASEAN countries, laying an important foundation for further exploring the scientific and technological cooperation in public health between China and ASEAN countries.

Meng Qingyue

Meng Qingyue emphasized in the project progress report that public health cooperation is a major theme of common concern between China and ASEAN countries, and an important carrier for building a global community of health for all. The preparation for the establishment of the ASEAN-China Public Health Science and Technology Cooperation Center is just in time. Currently, the Peking University Health Science Center, together with the Institute of Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the College of ASEAN Studies of Guangxi Minzu University, has worked with ASEAN partners to explore the cooperation mechanism and path between China and ASEAN in the field of public health through practical cooperation in COVID-19 and malaria prevention and control, and has made progress in many aspects.

Xu Ming

Xu Ming introduced the preparation and construction of the Center when reporting, including the construction goals, construction contents, institutions, management mechanism and partner development mechanism, and further introduced the preparation progress and recent work. It was pointed out that the current preparation and construction plan of the Center and the cooperation concept book with ASEAN countries have been distributed to the members of the ASEAN-China University Consortium on Medicine and Health and positive responses had been received. It was also planned to hold academic activities such as the annual ASEAN-China Public Health Cooperation Lecture in the near future.

Xu Chaoqian

After listening to the report on the construction progress of the project and the Center, Xu Chaoqian highly praised the project implementation and the preparation and construction of the Center. The ASEAN-China  Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Public Health, as an important cooperation platform, can integrate multiple resources, supply long-term and sustainable development for ASEAN-China cooperation on public health science and technology, and better serve the national strategy by expanding cooperation areas. Xu Chaoqian gave guidance on the realization of the construction goals of the Center and related construction contents, suggested forming case support to extend the project results to other regions, and proposed to give support and guidance for specific construction contents.