On March 12, 2024, Prof. Dou Xiankang, President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) met with Vice President and Foreign Secretary Mark Walport and Alison Noble of the Royal Society(RS). Prof. Lan Yujie, Vice President of NSFC, also attended the meeting.

President Dou Xiankang stated that the United Kingdom is one of the world's major scientific and technological powers. NSFC has always attached great importance to cooperation in basic research with the United Kingdom. RS is an important national organization for promoting scientific research and talent cultivation in the UK, and being one of NSFC’s major UK partners, it has played an active role in promoting Sino-UK cooperation in basic research. NSFC is willing to continue working with RS to deepen cooperation in academic exchanges and talent cultivation between the Chinese and the UK, as well as Chinese and European scientific communities.

Vice President Lan Yujie briefly reviewed the joint programs between NSFC and RS, and then introduced NSFC’s latest reform measures in talent cultivation and international cooperation. He suggested that, given the great demand for cooperation between the scientific communities, both sides should expand the joint funding mechanism and cooperation in addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development.

Vice Presidents Walport and Noble highly agreed with the Chinese side's suggestions. They stated that the joint exchange programs have greatly boosted the solid and stable cooperative relationship between the scientific communities of the two countries, and they hoped that this would catalyze more and better scientific and technological innovation achievements.

This meeting is of great significance for expanding the scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between NSFC and RS, as well as creating a globally competitive open and innovative ecosystem in the field of basic science.

Natasha Bevan, Head of International Grants, Laura Wilton, Head of International Affairs, and other RS representatives were on the visiting delegation. Acting Director General Dr. Zhang Yongtao from the Bureau of International Cooperation and other NSFC officials also attended the meeting.