Published by: Li Jingyi, Fu Lvping, Chen Machuan Editor: Chen Machuan Published on: July 7, 2023 

WUST News (Correspondent: Li Jingyi and Fu Lvping Reporter: Chen Machuan) The 2023 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum & Hubei International Technology Exchange Conference was held in Wuhan on July 6. During the event, WUST and Hubei International Science and Technology Exchange Center jointly held the 2023 Hubei-Africa Public Hygiene and Health Special Session and the International Seminar on New Technologies of Low Carbon Functional Materials.

At the International Seminar on New Technologies of Low Carbon Functional Materials, Ge Lin, a level-1 inspector from Science and Technology Department of Hubei Province, Ni Hongwei, President of WUST, and Ma Teng, Vice President of WUST, attended and delivered speeches. Fu Lvping, Deputy Director of the Materials Department, presided over the meeting.

In her speech, Ge Lin briefly introduced the basics of the seminar. She indicated that the rapid and sustainable development of low-carbon economies requires new materials and advanced low-carbon technologies in reaction to global warming, environmental degradation, and resource depletion. She expects that international scientific and technological innovation resources will be linked to help the high-quality development of low-carbon functional materials in Hubei through effective international cooperation.

Briefly introducing WUST, Ni Hongwei extended a warm welcome to the participants and highly valued the significance of the seminar. He hopes that the participating experts will pool their wisdom and work together to research into new trends in the development of green and low-carbon materials. He anticipates sharing scientific and technological innovation resources through effective international cooperation and to make greater contributions to the development of green and low-carbon materials via active multi-level and multi-element collaborative innovation.

Shuhui Sun, Academician from the National Institute of Scientific Research of Canada, Yang Chai, Academician from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Christopher Rhys Bowen from University of Bath, Professor Girish Kale from University of Leeds, Professor Huaiyu Shang from University of Macau, Professor Pramod Koshy from University of New South Wales, Professor Xiaolei Wang from University of Alberta in Canada, Professor Dongmin Yang from University of Edinburgh, Professor Xu Lin from Wuhan University of Technology and She Yongnian from Wuhan University of Science and Technology, discussed and exchanged ideas on the development and application of low-carbon functional materials.

In his closing remarks, Ma Teng highlighted the importance of this seminar and acknowledged the attending experts for their insightful reports. He hopes that all parties can take this seminar as an opportunity to continue to deepen cooperation, tackle global challenges together, develop low-carbon functional materials, and assist WUST in the construction of world-class disciplines.

Gu Huazhi, Executive Director of the Materials Department, Li Xiangcheng, Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Xiao Qiaoling, Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Department and other 200 experts, scholars and graduate students at home and abroad participated the seminar in person or online.

In the 2023 Hubei-Africa Public Hygiene and Health Special Session, Anqing, a level-2 inspector from Science and TechnologyDepartment of Hubei Province, Liu Dongru, Director of the Hubei Provincial Bureau of Disease Prevention and Deputy Director of the Hubei Provincial Health Commission, Yang Yuexin, President of the Chinese Nutrition Society, LV Yong, Vice President of WUST, Kenneth Rabale, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho, and Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director of the Ghana Health Service Bureau, delivered speeches. Wu Qingming, Director of the Medical Department of WUST, presided over the session.

Ni Hongwei signed a contract with the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation Center on behalf of WUST to conduct collaborative research on public hygiene and health development between China and Africa. Ni Hongwei indicated that the collaboration based on the center platform would provide a favorable opportunity for deepening the cooperation in science and technology innovation between China and Africa.

Anqing indicated that the purpose of this seminar is to strengthen innovative cooperation between Hubei and Africa in the field of public hygiene and health in the new era. This event will further strengthen scientific and technological cooperation between Hubei and Africa, enhance long-term friendship between the Chinese and African people, and drive multi-level and comprehensive exchanges and cooperation.

Liu Dongru said that in the face of the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, China and Africa stood together and fought side by side. He sincerely hopes that focusing on the theme of “Innovation leads to development and cooperation brings about opportunities”, Hubei and Africa will conduct extensive exchanges, learn from each other, promote practical cooperation and steady development in the field of public hygiene and health, and make Hubei's contribution in building a new era of China-Africa health community.

Yang Yuexin mentioned that the practice of the community with a shared future for mankind cannot be achieved overnight. Instead, it is a long-term historical task that requires bilateral, multilateral, and regional cooperation. The China-Africa friendship dates back to ancient times and the hygiene and health cooperation between China and Africa will consolidate their friendship over time.

LV Yong stated that as a further deepening of comprehensive and solid cooperation between China and Africa, the hold of this session will promote the effective integration of school public health talent cultivation into global health cause. WUST will further innovate talent cultivation models, strengthen international exchanges of faculties and students, and broaden the international perspective of talent cultivation.

The event invited experts and scholars including Professor Pan An from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Wang Hui from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Professor Li Hao from Wuhan University, Professor Marcelo Andrade de Lima from Kiel University, Professor Wei Sheng from Southern University of Science and Technology, Professor Zhang Ling from Wuhan University of Science and Technology to probe into research on obesity, chronic disease prevention, health assistance to Africa, detection of new coronavirus, infectious disease alert, etc.. Experts and scholars have also shared experiences and suggestions on public health issues in different fields.

WUST international students from Africa performed the friendship between China and Africa. Before the meeting began, the program China and Africa are a family written, directed, and performed by students from WUST won applause from the gathering. The program includes stage plays, singing, and poetry recitation. The story tells of Xiao from China and Abdul from Africa who met by letter used their own country's traditional medical techniques to help others. Chinese and African students also sang the song You and Me to spice up the session and recited the poem Sino-African Friendship, which was written by Chen Jiahao, an international student studying at WUST.

The leaders from Health Commission of Hubei Province, Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, teachers and students from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, Jiangsu University, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Hubei University of Medicine, Yangtze University Medical Department, Jianghan University and other universities attended the seminar.

(Photographer: Chen Machuan)

The two seminars are integral part of the 2023 China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum & Hubei International Technology Exchange Conference. The conference is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of PRC and the People's Government of Hubei Province. With the theme of “Innovation leads to development and cooperation brings about opportunities”, a series of high-end innovation forums were held, focusing on promoting inclusiveness and mutual benefit under the framework of “the Belt and Road” initiative and the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation to promote the win-win international scientific and technological innovation cooperation and co-build a shared future for mankind.