The Sixth High-Level Sino-European Dialogue was successfully held in Hefei, Anhui Province, from October 8 to 9, 2026. More than 50 experts and representatives from over 20 research funding agencies, universities, and research institutions in China and Europe attended the dialogue. Among the participants were Prof. Dou Xiankang, President of NSFC; Han Zhiyong, Secretary General of NSFC; Chang Jin, President of the University of Science and Technology of China(USTC); Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Mari Tveit, President of the Research Council of Norway and President of Science Europe; and Francisco Javier Moreno Fuentes, European Affairs Coordinator at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Vice President of Science Europe. The themes of the dialogue were “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Basic Research” and “How to Balance Curiosity-Driven and Goal-Oriented Basic Research.”Fan Yingjie, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation of NSFC, and Lidia Damian, Secretary General of Science Europe, co-chaired the dialogue.

In his remarks, President Dou Xiankang stated that NSFC attaches great importance to Sino-European cooperation in basic science. He stressed that the more complex the international situation becomes, the greater the need to strengthen communication and exchanges between China and Europe, particularly among young researchers. He pointed out that the themes of the dialogue were of great significance. NSFC is actively responding to the AI-driven transformation of scientific research paradigms and promoting the harnessing of AI to advance basic research and enhance research funding management. It remains committed to combining curiosity-driven exploration with goal-oriented research, continuously increasing support for young researchers and original research, and promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. He expressed the hope that the dialogue would provide an opportunity to further deepen strategic exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe, and contribute their collective wisdom and efforts to addressing global challenges and advancing basic research.

In her remarks, President Tveit spoke highly of the series of Sino-European strategic dialogues and policy seminars. She expressed the hope that both sides would strengthen coordination on integrating AI into basic research and balancing curiosity-driven and mission-oriented research, further broaden and deepen cooperation, and jointly promote the sustained development of international cooperation in basic research.

Leading experts and scholars from China and Europe delivered keynote speeches, including Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Zeng Dajun, Deputy Director of the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Jia Jia of Tsinghua University; Zhang Lin of Wuhan University; Christof Gattringer, President of the Austrian Science Fund; Javier Moreno, European Affairs Coordinator at the Spanish National Research Council; Christopher Smith, International Champion at UK Research and Innovation; and Tjaša Dobnik, Director of the Slovenian Research Agency. Together with representatives from European funding agencies and research institutions, they held extensive and in-depth discussions on the themes of the dialogue.

In their concluding remarks, participatants from both sides agreed that the dialogue was in an open and pragmatic atmosphere, that both sides had engaged in candid and constructive exchanges, and reached common understandings on a range of important issues. The dialogue marked another important milestone in Sino-European cooperation in basic research, laying a solid foundation for broader and deeper strategic and policy exchanges on science and technology, as well as substantive cooperation on joint research projects.

European representatives attending the dialogue also included Claire Giry, President of the French National Research Agency; Katarina Bjelke, Director General of the Swedish Research Council; Darija Kisić, Acting Director of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia and representatives from 15 research institutions in 12 European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

Following the dialogue, the European delegation visited the Science Intelligent Material Creation Center at USTC and the headquarters of the Hefei National Laboratory.

Members from relevant bureaus and departments of NSFC also participated in the activities.