On the morning of December 13, SZBL successfully concluded its Third Session of the First Academic Committee. The half-day meeting gathered 13 prestigious experts in the field of life science onsite or through virtual links to advise on SZBL’s future road map for academic development. SZBL leadership including Zhan Qimin, Lin Jianhua, Wu Yun-Dong, Hu Xiaojun, Wu Hong and Wu Feng attended the meeting. Academician Zhang Mingjie, Director of the SZBL Academic Committee, chaired the meeting.
（Zhan Qimin, Chinese Academician and SZBL Director）
(Wu Yun-Dong, Chinese Academician and SZBL Executive Vice Director)
(Zhang Mingjie, Chinese Academician and Director of SZBL Academic Committee)
SZBL Executive Vice Director Wu Yun-Dong opened the meeting by delivering remarks. He expressed appreciation to all committee members for their support. Wu also reported to the committee on the work of the laboratory over 2021, which covered the progress made by SZBL in terms of the pace of development, talent recruitment, scientific research, and technology transfer. He pointed out that the laboratory, though very young, has established a talent base in areas like cancer, neurological, infectious and respiratory research, and has created new steps in exploring new R&D models. The three translational research centers of SZBL, as Wu mentioned, has also made positive attempts to build multi-dimensional mechanisms that support basic-to-translational research and formed a number of partnership with famous pharma companies. At last, Wu introduced the 2019-2025 implementation plan of SZBL to the committee members.
The committee members extended recognition and congratulated on the progress of SZBL. Later, the meeting conducted discussion and consultation on overall growth of talent, research program, graduate recruitment, international cooperation in the time of COVID-19, the balance between basic and translational research and so forth. The meeting has put forward some pieces of advice for SZBL to further uphold development, with regard to the promotion of SZBL’s global profile, the greater balance and coordination between basic and translational research, the formulation of an innovative talent evaluation system, the enhancement of partnership with local hospitals and so on. The committee also underscored that the laboratory needs to further leverage its geographical advantages in attracting talents and forging regional industrial ties, and based on this to seek all-win cooperation.
SZBL Director Zhan Qimin summarized the meeting. He very much appreciated all the advice contributed by the committee members plus with global vision. It is hoped that the laboratory continue to develop clearer direction and focuses for research and key areas, and maintain coordinated relation between basic and translational goals and practices. Meanwhile, more creative and innovative steps need to be taken in mechanism building for gathering intellectual strength and help to drive the growth of SZBL.
