On June 10^th, 2020, the COVID-19 international online R&I networking event co- organized by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Directorate-General Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and various science funding agencies from Japan, Singapore, Austria, Egypt, Morocco, etc., has been successfully concluded. The event has attracted over 120 participants, including researchers and representatives of science funding agencies from China, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Singapore, India, Australia, Egypt and Morocco.

Representatives of science funding agencies presented their research responses to Covid-19 and scope for international cooperation in the opening session. Researchers from Europe, Asia and Africa shared their research focus and progress under three sub-topics, i.e., diagnostics, treatment, and prevention through introductory presentations and open discussions. Demands for international cooperation and suggestions for follow-up events were also put forward by participating researchers.

Dr. Fan Yingjie, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation, addressed the opening session on behalf of NSFC. Dr. Fan overviewed NSFC’s research responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in enhancing the mutual trust among the international research community, supporting the international collaboration on COVID-19 research, and promoting networking among research funders as well as research projects engaged in COVID-19, which won the acclaim of the participating science funding agencies and researchers. Prof. Cao Bin from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Prof. Deng Hongkui from Peking University, Prof. Sun Bing from Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, and Prof. Zhou Hongwei from Southern Medical University have taken an active part in the parallel sessions on behalf of grantees of NSFC-funded COVID-19research projects.

Ms. Wang Yan, Minister Counsellor of Chinese Mission to the EU, Mr. Jia Wuzhi, Second Secretary of Chinese Mission to the EU, and representatives from the Bureau of International Cooperation of NSFC also attended the event.